4 ms·

CSIS aren't the most competent intelligence organization in the world.

corresation 14y ago
For the limited scope of the work that they do (which is essentially limited to what the NSA does in the US. They don't really do what the CIA does), and with a relatively small $600 million dollar public budget, they're known to be quite competent. This story sounds...weird. I doubt it is quite as he suspects it is.
- mcantelon 14y ago
  >which is essentially limited to what the NSA does in the US. The NSA doesn't do field intelligence work, AFAIK, unlike CSIS. >This story sounds...weird. I doubt it is quite as he suspects it is. It's weird, but I'm not sure who else other than CSIS would have the motivation to hack an activists computer so it sends data to CSIS-affiliated servers.
  - corresation 14y ago
    The author said "Hostnames that appear to belong to CSIS.". Reverse DNS should not be trusted. Saying that a hostname "appears to belong" to someone is a naive statement.
    - strlen 14y ago
      Indeed, spoofing reverse DNS is not hard -- and spoofing reverse DNS to appear like an intelligence agency is straight out of every 1990s IRC script kiddie's cookbook.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- fatbird 14y ago
  I think you've got it mixed up: CSIS [0] is the Canadian CIA, having been created in the wake of shutting down Department D of the RCMP after one too many scandals in the 1970s. The Canadian NSA is the CSE [1]. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Security_Intelligence_Service http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Security_Intelligence_... [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Security_Establishment_Canada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Security_Establi...
  - redthrowaway 14y ago
    CSEC, now. I'm thinking of interning there in the summer.
    - richardlblair 14y ago
      You aren't now. I happen to know that upon applying you are directly told not to tell anyone you applied, or even that you were thinking of applying.
      - redthrowaway 14y ago
        No, only thinking of it.
        adambenayoun 14y ago
        Then you aren't anymore.
lostlogin 14y ago
Which one is? I put the Mosad up there, but most are summed up by the statement: Reward for failure. Screw up, get given a bigger budget so it doesn't happen again.

For the limited scope of the work that they do (which is essentially limited to what the NSA does in the US. They don't really do what the CIA does), and with a relatively small $600 million dollar public budget, they're known to be quite competent. This story sounds...weird. I doubt it is quite as he suspects it is.

mcantelon 14y ago
>which is essentially limited to what the NSA does in the US. The NSA doesn't do field intelligence work, AFAIK, unlike CSIS. >This story sounds...weird. I doubt it is quite as he suspects it is. It's weird, but I'm not sure who else other than CSIS would have the motivation to hack an activists computer so it sends data to CSIS-affiliated servers.
- corresation 14y ago
  The author said "Hostnames that appear to belong to CSIS.". Reverse DNS should not be trusted. Saying that a hostname "appears to belong" to someone is a naive statement.
  - strlen 14y ago
    Indeed, spoofing reverse DNS is not hard -- and spoofing reverse DNS to appear like an intelligence agency is straight out of every 1990s IRC script kiddie's cookbook.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
fatbird 14y ago
I think you've got it mixed up: CSIS [0] is the Canadian CIA, having been created in the wake of shutting down Department D of the RCMP after one too many scandals in the 1970s. The Canadian NSA is the CSE [1]. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Security_Intelligence_Service http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Security_Intelligence_... [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Security_Establishment_Canada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Security_Establi...
- redthrowaway 14y ago
  CSEC, now. I'm thinking of interning there in the summer.
  - richardlblair 14y ago
    You aren't now. I happen to know that upon applying you are directly told not to tell anyone you applied, or even that you were thinking of applying.
    - redthrowaway 14y ago
      No, only thinking of it.
      - adambenayoun 14y ago
        Then you aren't anymore.

lostlogin 14y ago

Which one is? I put the Mosad up there, but most are summed up by the statement: Reward for failure. Screw up, get given a bigger budget so it doesn't happen again.