If ATS is monitored - this is how it might be done

I was doing some research into what was possibly going on throughout the internet during early September where it seemed as though lots of forums, blogs and news sites (particularly those with a less mainstream slant) where being interfered with. This interference ranges from sites being made entirely unaccessable like rense.com (down for 2 days, see www.rense.com... ) ATS (down for a few hours) through to comments and forum sections being inundated in such a way as to almost saturate any meaningful content.

However many of these things were happening in an isolated sense, easily seen as coincidences.

It was only over time that some pattern seemed to be occurring, and I certainly wasn't the only one that was noticing it given the following thread: A Call To Action: Ending The Political Game on ATS

Interested in how some entity might coordinate such an operation or at the same time, what tools would be used to detect such an operation I came across an article in The Wired Blog 'Danger Room' about something called IntelFusion which is a volunteer group setup to track cyber warfare efforts similar to those that allegedly took place during the Georgia/Russia tussle. However when you keep hearing about full spectrum dominance and pre-emptive cyber warfare from the US Air Command all the time, you know these sorts of operations are not confined to anyone side. Not only that but Western Police Forces seem to be more and more getting into the intelligence industry as seen through the pre-emtive raids before the RNC and DNC conventions. France is setting up some huge database to track and monitor anyone of interest and it goes on and on.

So, after checking out IntelFusion's site it stated that they had been donated some software called Palantir by Palantir Technologies which I went to have a look at and was immediately fascinated by the demos they give of the software.

The software is divided into 2 markets, finance and government so I had a look see at what they are currently offering to governments. Needless to say I was quite amazed at the range of their software and in particular was the examples they use for social network analysis where you can see how they process data from all sorts of sources (forums, emails, blogs, logs etc) and can organise it visually and over time!

I thought immediately that if something like this being used by governments, then it is really interesting to see how it operates.

Have a look at the following demos if you are interested:

Palantir Cyber/Targeting Demo A demonstration of a computer/network/information operations centric workflow looking at websites, forums, and network traffic.

And:

Palantir Montage A short workflow set to fun music...

What I found interesting was how it represent social networks, the relations between entities and the transactions between entities. Furthermore it can show these over time by animating to process. Almost facebook like in a way!

Anyway I found it quite interesting and since it was opening and freely available on the web, I thought I'd post this stuff here so others can check it out and see how the other side might operate.

The other main thought I had when watching the demos is a bit more mundane but I couldn't help think how such a system and way of visually representing things could be applied to personal life management in this digital age, or even to home operating systems where more and more and data is being stored and needs to be managed.

Thoughts comments welcome!

[edit on 2008-9-12 by primamateria]

[edit on 2008-9-12 by primamateria]

After looking at the capacity and scope of the Palentir software, it has also occurred to me that it represents a roadmap in terms of all the legislation being pushed to essentially automate the input of personal digital data to such a system.

Obviously this requires that all of your personal digital data be available directly without any privacy laws and or legal protections getting in the way, so I am not surprised at all when I read articles like the one quoted below. This is just the beginning..

Brussels in 'frightening' grab for personal information

Civil liberties and privacy are being eroded at a "breathtaking" rate by European Union governments, according to a report.

By Christopher Hope, Home Affairs Editor
Last Updated: 1:13AM BST 11 Sep 2008

Civil liberties watchdog Statewatch criticised the EU's post-9/11 security strategy as a "frightening" grab for every aspect of individual information.

The 60-page report - published on the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington - said that the EU now saw data privacy and judicial scrutiny of police surveillance tactics as obstacles to efficient law enforcement co-operation, rather than rights to be safeguarded.

The report, The Shape Of Things To Come, described a so-called EU "Future Group" preparing a new five-year security strategy as "shadowy".

It said that plans to co-operate with the US on "extremely controversial" techniques and technologies of surveillance and "enhanced" co-operation.

The group is accused of trying to harness a "digital tsunami" to aid law enforcement.

The Statewatch report quotes an EU Council of Ministers document on justice and security which declared: "Every object the individual uses, every transaction they make and almost everywhere they go will create a detailed digital record.

"This will generate a wealth of information for public security organisations, and create huge opportunities for more effective and productive public security efforts."

The report responds: "The implications of this statement are breath-taking. Across the EU, governments have, or are, adopting national laws for the mandatory retention of everyone's communications data - all forms of communication (phone calls, faxes, mobile calls including locations) which will be extended to keeping a record of all internet usage from 2009 - even though few are aware this is happening.

"This allows law enforcement and security agencies to get access to all traffic data - in the UK access is already automated."

The report goes on: "When traffic data including internet usage is combined with other data held by the state or gathered from non-state sources (tax, employment, bank details, credit card usage, biometrics, criminal record, health record, use of e-government services, travel history etc) a frightening detailed picture of each individual's everyday life and habits can be accessed at the click of a button."

The report adds: "The harnessing of the 'digital tsunami' by public security organisations means that expected behaviour can be assessed by 'machines' on the basis of which directions are given to state officials on the spot."

Statewatch says that, ever since 9/11, Washington has "got its way" on security policy to the detriment of privacy and protection data about EU citizens.

Statewatch director Tony Bunyan said: "EU standards have been by-passed or undermined and the USA has steadfastly refused to offer Europeans the equivalent level of privacy protection to US citizens."

On plans for the EU and Washington to now develop even closer co-operation across the entire justice and security policy area, he said: "It is hard to think of a greater danger to our privacy and civil liberties."

He called for a "meaningful debate" about the direction of EU justice and security policy, but warned: "There is now only a slim chance that the political elites in the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, national governments, the law enforcement agencies and the multinationals will change course - they have already invested too much to allow a meaningful public debate to take place."

Mr Bunyan said: "The national and European states require unfettered powers to access and gather masses of personal data on the everyday life of everyone in order so that we can all be safe and secure from perceived 'threats'.

"But how are we to be safe from the state itself, from its uses and abuses of the data they hold on us?"

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