NSA infects 50,000 computer networks

Wisdom Quarterly; Floor Boon, Steven Derix, Huib Modderkolk (NRC.nl); via EarthFiles.com

 The NSA or National Security Agency spies legally and illegally (Corbis/NRC.nl)

 

The American intelligence service -- NSA -- infected more than 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information. 

Documents provided by former NSA-employee Edward Snowden and seen by this newspaper, prove this. A management presentation dating from 2012 explains how the NSA collects information worldwide.

In addition, the presentation shows that the intelligence service uses "Computer Network Exploitation" (CNE) in more than 50,000 locations. CNE is the secret infiltration of computer systems achieved by installing malware, that is, malicious software.

One example of this type of hacking was discovered in September 2013 at the Belgium telecom provider Belgacom. For a number of years the British intelligence service -- GCHQ -- has been installing this malicious software in the Belgacom network in order to tap their customers’ telephone and data traffic. 

 

The Belgacom network was infiltrated by GCHQ through a process of luring employees to a false Linkedin page.

NSA has 1,000+ hackers

The NSA computer attacks are performed by a special department called TAO (Tailored Access Operations). Public sources show that this department employs more than 1,000 hackers. As recently as August 2013, the Washington Post published articles about these NSA-TAO cyber operations. More