Latest Snowden Release: JTRIG is 4chan on Steroids

yep, that about sums it up.

the full doc is worth a read, here's the highlights from the list of toys you get when you become lords of the interwebs:

“Change outcome of online polls” (UNDERPASS)

“Mass delivery of email messaging to support an Information Operations campaign” (BADGER) and “mass delivery of SMS messages to support an Information Operations campaign” (WARPARTH)

“Disruption of video-based websites hosting extremist content through concerted target discovery and content removal.” (SILVERLORD)

“Active skype capability. Provision of real time call records (SkypeOut and SkypetoSkype) and bidirectional instant messaging. Also contact lists.” (MINIATURE HERO)

“Find private photographs of targets on Facebook” (SPRING BISHOP)

“A tool that will permanently disable a target’s account on their computer” (ANGRY PIRATE)

“Ability to artificially increase traffic to a website” (GATEWAY) and “ability to inflate page views on websites” (SLIPSTREAM)

“Amplification of a given message, normally video, on popular multimedia websites (Youtube)” (GESTATOR)

“Targeted Denial Of Service against Web Servers” (PREDATORS FACE) and “Distributed denial of service using P2P. Built by ICTR, deployed by JTRIG” (ROLLING THUNDER)

“A suite of tools for monitoring target use of the UK auction site eBay (www.ebay.co.uk)” (ELATE)

“Ability to spoof any email address and send email under that identity” (CHANGELING)

“For connecting two target phone together in a call” (IMPERIAL BARGE)

peace, i'm taking a 24pack out to the deep woods now.

All the more reason to have little trust in anything that you see, hear or read online.

a reply to: ATODASO

S&F!

Further Reading: How GCHQ's Newly Leaked Spy Tools Manipulate the Net

According to documents first disclosed by NBC News, the Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG) is a division within GCHQ essentially tasked with creating and deploying new methods for extracting information, intimidating adversaries, and destroying enemy reputations. The latest documents, called “JTRIG Tools and Techniques” and published by Glenn Greenwald over at the Intercept, detail an agency with extraordinary abilities not only to spy on individuals but to manipulate a whole range of things on the internet, from the outcome of online polls to website pageviews.

Many of the tools are for surveillance of a specific target. One called SODAWATER regularly downloads a target's Gmail messages; ICE is an “advanced IP harvesting technique” which could in turn help reveal their physical location; MINIATURE HERO allows monitoring of active Skype calls (it isn't clear how Skype's encryption is bypassed); and SPRING BISHOP is used to find private photographs on Facebook.

The JTRIG tools that are most worrying are those that apparently allow the agency to actually change content on the internet. For example, a couple of the tools help censor videos: BUMPERCAR can manipulate the way that service providers report offensive materials, while SILVERLORD is aimed at the "disruption of video-based websites hosting extremist content through concerted target discovery and content removal".

In the other direction, GESTATOR can “amplify”—or increase the exposure—of a video on YouTube, while other tools can artificially increase traffic to a webpage.

The spread of disinformation is another possibility. SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE is said to allow “perfect spoofing of emails” from Blackberry devices; CLEAN SWEEP to post fake Facebook material for “individuals or entire countries”; and UNDERPASS, which is listed in the documents last modified on 5 July 2012 as still in development, to “change outcome of online polls.”

a reply to: ATODASO

Anyone who doesnt think Snowden is a hero, is an enemy of the American people and their freedom.

originally posted by: ImaFungi
a reply to: ATODASO

Anyone who doesnt think Snowden is a hero, is an enemy of the American people and their freedom.

As good a way as any to put it.

Now you can also see that the 'net is well and truly fecked up... P.S. I have received e-mail as per the 'CHANNELING' exercise.

a reply to: ATODASO

The meme deserves a star alone, and a flag for all the rest.

I have been well aware of these methods for quite some time-and I've reported it every time I've seen it to no avail. Even comments to sports reports I read are clogged with bots that derail the conversation from sports to politics at a whim. How does 'Is Messi the player of the world cup?' turn into 'why this person should be the next leader of the free world.'

Intelligence agencies-the ultimate trolls.

That is a pretty scary array of tools right there. Nice to see some confirmation that the NSA is indeed behind some of the DDOS attacks going around.

Thecakeisalie, you said it! The ultimate trolls. Have you seen the thread with edits the Us government makes to Wikipedia? Great thread for a laugh. You can see the government is actively paying people to browse Wikipedia and place propaganda now.

How does 'Is Messi the player of the world cup?' turn into 'why this person should be the next leader of the free world.'

Another whiny loser. He will fit right in. Pretty sad when fans cry over their team losing a sports event and others turn war into a spectator sport.

Technology advances, mankind does not.

originally posted by: lightedhype
Thecakeisalie, you said it! The ultimate trolls. Have you seen the thread with edits the Us government makes to Wikipedia? Great thread for a laugh. You can see the government is actively paying people to browse Wikipedia and place propaganda now.

Corporations as well. They're trying to remove anything "controversial" about their practices from their Wiki pages.

a reply to: ATODASO

peace, i'm taking a 24pack out to the deep woods now.

I hope its not the 24 pack with the nanobots.

originally posted by: ATODASO

“Change outcome of online polls” (UNDERPASS)

“Mass delivery of email messaging to support an Information Operations campaign” (BADGER) and “mass delivery of SMS messages to support an Information Operations campaign” (WARPARTH)


“Ability to artificially increase traffic to a website” (GATEWAY) and “ability to inflate page views on websites” (SLIPSTREAM)

“Amplification of a given message, normally video, on popular multimedia websites (Youtube)” (GESTATOR)

Know we know how Justin Bieber became famous................

k, anybody else see where these toys mighta been deployed over the last three years? how about the rapid spread of the kony meme? or the sudden high profile status of the video used by the western press as a smokescreen
during benghazi?

“Amplification of a given message, normally video, on popular multimedia websites (Youtube)” (GESTATOR)

how about the fake as # arab spring style social media campaigns in libya and iran?

“Mass delivery of email messaging to support an Information Operations campaign” (BADGER) and “mass delivery of SMS messages to support an Information Operations campaign” (WARPARTH)

and what about the more up close and personal approach? anybody here have a bad moment you can recall where you might have been on the wrong end of the MINIATURE HERO, SPRING BISHOP, or ANGRY PIRATE, and dae think these sound like euphemisms for depraved sex acts?

“For connecting two target phone together in a call” (IMPERIAL BARGE)

a reply to: ATODASO

I wish Snowden would tell us something we didn't already know.

Him and assange are plants.

originally posted by: ImaFungi
a reply to: ATODASO

Anyone who doesnt think Snowden is a hero, is an enemy of the American people and their freedom.

True. You're either with us or against us. For freedom or against it. By constantly denigrating Snowden, they show that they are traitors and those people should move to North Korea. They would be welcomed with open arms, I'm sure. I'll stay here and fight for freedom.

originally posted by: avenged10fold
a reply to: ATODASO

I wish Snowden would tell us something we didn't already know.

Him and assange are plants.

well, bud, it might be the molsen talking, but let's entertain the idea that snowden and greenwald (at least) are mouthpieces for the entities they're releasing info about. why the hell would intel agencies do that?

could be a lot of reasons. maybe since a lot of these tools are already in use by other state and private entities, getting on top of the public response to their disclosure makes good sense.

could be that state and corporate interests have merged to the point that unilateral surveillance and manipulation of large groups just makes good business sense.

or, snowden and assange are in someone else's pocket, and that same someone spams the internet with pro-snowden messages to turn the screws.

i dunno. i think it's just good to try and spot these toys in use in the wild if you can, because they undoubtedly exist.

originally posted by: ATODASO

originally posted by: avenged10fold
a reply to: ATODASO

I wish Snowden would tell us something we didn't already know.

Him and assange are plants.

well, bud, it might be the molsen talking, but let's entertain the idea that snowden and greenwald (at least) are mouthpieces for the entities they're releasing info about. why the hell would intel agencies do that?

[...]

or, snowden and assange are in someone else's pocket, and that same someone spams the internet with pro-snowden messages to turn the screws.

When the initial revelations came out, I was wondering the same thing. Then, I realized something: What's the point in having a massive Big Brother-esque surveillance system.. if no one knows about it?

Just the knowledge that such a system is in place has a "chilling effect" on free speech as we once knew it for many.

I'm of two minds on Snowden, still not fully resolved. Either he is a true hero, standing up for rights... Or an actor in a COINTEL plot. Something just didn't quite pass the smell test for me.

Although I must admit I lean heavily towards option one.

Another option I've been mulling over, is that "Snowden" could be used as a keyword, so to speak, to keep tabs on his supporters to be labeled as dissidents.

Another thing, his one-year asylum status in Russia will be up within a few weeks IIRC, it'll be interesting to see if it's renewed or not, and where he goes from there.

I always like seeing more of the programs being used, but a few of these have been known to exist in corporate hands for quite awhile. Seeing them make the jump to government use isn't very surprising. Namely the programs that direct conversations and increase page/video views. Those are very popular among corporations.

How Covert Agents Infiltrate the Internet to Manipulate, Deceive, and Destroy Reputations (Feb 24th 2014)

Government plans to monitor and influence internet communications, and covertly infiltrate online communities in order to sow dissension and disseminate false information, have long been the source of speculation. Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein, a close Obama adviser and the White House’s former head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, wrote a controversial paper in 2008 proposing that the US government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-”independent” advocates to “cognitively infiltrate” online groups and websites, as well as other activist groups.

Sunstein also proposed sending covert agents into “chat rooms, online social networks, or even real-space groups” which spread what he views as false and damaging “conspiracy theories” about the government. Ironically, the very same Sunstein was recently named by Obama to serve as a member of the NSA review panel created by the White House, one that – while disputing key NSA claims – proceeded to propose many cosmetic reforms to the agency’s powers (most of which were ignored by the President who appointed them).

You know, all appreciation to snowden for the reveals....

But let's put this into context, various Islamic groups had reached the no 1 position for "online organized posters" 7 years ago, other nations including China employ these tactics, in fact it wouldn't be worth the time to even attempt to list the number of organizations, religions, companies, governments that employ such tactics

In fact who hasn't heard of the Delphi, it just takes 2 people... one to post something and another to back their opinion up vehemently a post or two later and i've watched it sway threads for years

Like life, all you can do is educate yourself and be wary of being a joiner and take the individual arguments for their intellectual value and do your own homework.....