2 ms·

Was the wording on the slide "direct access to"? I remember there being a "directly from the servers", but that wording has to be interpreted in the context of

by mpyne 13y ago

Was the wording on the slide "direct access to"? I remember there being a "directly from the servers", but that wording has to be interpreted in the context of what it means to someone in the intel community (like the NSA). And I'm 80% sure that what it means in that context is that the source of the data received has no middleman. I.e. they pull Google's records straight from Google, not from a wiretap or SIGINT, just like for Facebook, PalTalk, etc.

jdp23 13y ago
The wording was indeed "collection directly from the servers". [1] Robert O'Harrow et. al.'s followon article from the Washington post had more details [2] Intelligence community sources said that this description, although inaccurate from a technical perspective, matches the experience of analysts at the NSA. From their workstations anywhere in the world, government employees cleared for PRISM access may “task” the system and receive results from an Internet company without further interaction with the company’s staff.... According to a more precise description contained in a classified NSA inspector general’s report, also obtained by The Post, PRISM allows “collection managers [to send] content tasking instructions directly to equipment installed at company-controlled locations,” rather than directly to company servers. The companies cannot see the queries that are sent from the NSA to the systems installed on their premises, according to sources familiar with the PRISM process. [1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-prism-server-collection-facebook-google http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-prism-server... [2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-company-officials-internet-surveillance-does-not-indiscriminately-mine-data/2013/06/08/5b3bb234-d07d-11e2-9f1a-1a7cdee20287_print.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-com...

by mpyne 13y ago

jdp23 13y ago

The wording was indeed "collection directly from the servers". [1] Robert O'Harrow et. al.'s followon article from the Washington post had more details [2] Intelligence community sources said that this description, although inaccurate from a technical perspective, matches the experience of analysts at the NSA. From their workstations anywhere in the world, government employees cleared for PRISM access may “task” the system and receive results from an Internet company without further interaction with the company’s staff.... According to a more precise description contained in a classified NSA inspector general’s report, also obtained by The Post, PRISM allows “collection managers [to send] content tasking instructions directly to equipment installed at company-controlled locations,” rather than directly to company servers. The companies cannot see the queries that are sent from the NSA to the systems installed on their premises, according to sources familiar with the PRISM process. [1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-prism-server-collection-facebook-google http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-prism-server... [2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-company-officials-internet-surveillance-does-not-indiscriminately-mine-data/2013/06/08/5b3bb234-d07d-11e2-9f1a-1a7cdee20287_print.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-com...