On can sensibly argue that passively reading traffic is defensive. Infiltrating computers, planting bugs, and actively eavesdropping is more of an offensive sta

On can sensibly argue that passively reading traffic is defensive. Infiltrating computers, planting bugs, and actively eavesdropping is more of an offensive stance. Listening to what everyone says in a public square (the internet) is comparatively passive. The trouble is that, in aggregate, the knowledge acquired is powerful and transcends time-honored boundaries.