CIA, FBI Push Social Networking for Spies 138
node7 writes "The FBI, NSA, and CIA are jointly supporting a newly created 'MySpace' for the intelligence community. Named 'A-Space,' the site will contain highly classified material, so naturally, it won't be available to the public. From CNN: '[Michael Wertheimer, assistant deputy director of national intelligence for analysis] demonstrated the program to CNN to show how analysts will use it to collaborate. "One perfect example is if Osama bin Laden comes out with a new video. How is that video obtained? Where are the very sensitive secret sources we may have to put into a context that's not apparent to the rest of the world?" Wertheimer said. "In the past, whoever captured that video or captured information about the video kept it in-house. It's highly classified because it has so very short a shelf life. That information is considered critical to our understanding."'"
A-Space music video? (Score:5, Funny)
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You might want to try searching under his performance name, Tim Osman [whatreallyhappened.com] (not to be confused with one of the Osmond brothers)
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This won't be kept on a regular secure site on the open internet. This will be on the standard SIPRnet or on JWICS behind hardware and software encryption.
Besides aside from curiosity this information won't mean much to anyone who isn't in that line of work.
Honeypot (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe it's just because I'm a sick bastard, but I'd leave a single access point open to this network on the internet. Protect the living hell out of it, so only the leet could get in. And then make it a honeypot, not connecting to anything real.
But instead hosting video of alien autopsies, fake Apollo moon landing movie sets, documents about how the CIA shot JFK, letters from the Bavarian Illuminati ordering the war in Iraq...stuff like that.
Video of J. Edgar Hoover in his sexy black tutu? (Score:2)
That's probably on Youtube already, but this would let the government post the hai-rez versions.
unfortunate or appropriate? (Score:3, Funny)
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I dunno, all I could think of when I read "A Space" was South Park and "Project: Imagination Doorway"
Just Plain Wrong... (Score:4, Funny)
MySpace is for kids who want to play the latest emo music and pointless clicky things. I can just imagine spies with anime icons.
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Clearly you have never met any intelligence analysts. More and more they tend to be younger geeks.
Re:Just Plain Wrong... (Score:4, Funny)
Of course I haven't met 'em. If I had then they would have had to kill me. Though I think one might be hiding in the tree out back.
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just Plain Wrong... (Score:4, Funny)
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No, it's just you who's getting older.
Re:Just Plain Wrong... (Score:4, Funny)
Well, you know there's going to be spies who try to be friends with EVERYBODY, regardless of weather or not they know each other. Then the constant unsolicited friend requests from the CIA's latest emo-folk-rock band.
Members of A-Space will have to deal with messages like "Are you the Agent Schwartz who graduated from black ops school in Langley back in '84? OMG it's been so long! What have you been up to?"
Finally, you'll get generals commanding their subordinates to join their gang in Mob Wars so they can put the smack down on the mob run by some rival admirals.
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I can see it now...
AnimeFan: Oh hai! I joined today for the lulz.
ColSanders: Tits or GTFO!
AnimeFan: WTF?
ColSanders: newfag is new
AnimeFan: I am sitting at the desk right beside you.
ColSanders: STFU n00b
AnimeFan: You are a shitty boss.
ColSanders: Yes but on the intarwebs no one knows I'm a cat
Naming? (Score:3, Funny)
Is there a logic behind the name? Do they mean A-Space as in "a space" as in "it's a space, somewhere, but we won't tell you where or whose it is."
Or, do they mean a space for the A-Team.
(Please say it's the second option)
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It stands for (Score:1)
Ass-Clowns
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The only thing it will end up being used for is tacking competing intelligence agencies, t
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A -> Analyst
Or just Anal for short.
Hacker Target (Score:2, Insightful)
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It's not clear from the article whether it's actually on the web, or whether it's on a private network. I'd hope the latter.
On another note, I can imagine some of the standard social networking tropes: "Current Music: Mission Impossible Theme."
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I hope that it is not on the "web" at all - including any protocols that we, as civilians, have access to. To access it should, hopefully, never require http:/// [http] or https:/// [https] but rather *should* be something like SomeReallySuperSecretProtocol:// but maybe a little bit longer.
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Because nothing of that nature should ever be exposed to the public internet, should have no way to connect to the protocols that we even have available. I am all for keeping some information open but, as an example, I don't think we have an intrinsic right to get a copy of the latest and greatest fighter jet simply because we're tax paying citizens.
I figure putting it on secure servers in a format that can't be accessed via any technology that we have available is the best/added layer way to ensure a great
Re:Hacker Target (Score:4, Informative)
It will be in a private restricted network operated by the government. You can't even send packets on that network without a top secret security clearance. Despite all the screwups of most of government, there are a few things they do right. And you will never come near it.
Re:Hacker Target (Score:4, Insightful)
It's always cute when people have such faith in their government/military/intelligence institutions.
In the real world, they do take a bit more care than most, but somebody will screw up sooner or later.
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If getting in was even a little easier than that, we'd have a lot more information than we do.
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cant help myself
Government security - Na never been broken into ... ... ...
Military Intelligence - No explanation needed
Government efficiency - Yawn, we know how efficient they are..
Government organization - Ya right
which can only be topped by:
Homeland security!
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there are a few things they do right.
Same security isn't one of them.
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Nobody needs to send packets on that network. All they need to do is monitor packets on that network. And that's very likely to be done and very difficult to prevent if the network is of any significant size.
Unless the network is on a single floor of a single building it will be difficult to keep unvetted persons from coming near it.
Re:Star Trek Quote (Score:2)
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Except ... (Score:2)
Except for a-space.gov [a-space.gov] and a-space.mil [a-space.mil].
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Yeah, but you know those CIA guys will just go to the first thing that comes up when they Google +A-Space +"top secret stuff"
These are the same folks that need a sign to warn their undercover agents visiting the CIA gift shop in Langley not to use their credit cards.
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You would think that, equally as important, they'd want to warn their undercover agents that wearing CIA t-shirts, or giving CIA bears to their nieces, nephews, or investigative reporters might blow their cover, too.
CIA gift shop?! Seriously?!
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I think i found the site: http://www.the-aspace.org/ [the-aspace.org]
Re:Hacker Target (Score:5, Informative)
It would not be on the web - it would be on SIPRnet, the governments own secure IP network that (at least in theory) doesn't touch the public web.
I expect that they will actually have multiple different systems. Top Secret really isn't all that secret. It's once you get to eyes only levels above that things are interesting.
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WRT Eyes Only:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information_in_the_United_States#Handling_Caveats [wikipedia.org]
IE: Wikpedia knows more than you about this.
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This could also be a giant honeypot to try and catch intruders. Or not. Not like many of us will see this anyway (unless it all ends up on Wikileaks).
Re:Hacker Target (Score:4, Funny)
you can get in the just use the login Joshua but you need to find the phone # to get in.
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I believe "it's a trap" is appropriate here.
This isn't a tool for spies. It's a tool to catch morons.
Lets apply the most basic logic... would the intelligence community announce anything of the sort to the public?
Like the last dozen or so technological or organizational strides they announced.... but wait.... no.
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damn....exit, exit, quit, no, bye, q, y, exit, Alt+f4, ctrl+alt+del, yank cord from wall, leave coffee shop...
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Couldn't this become a huge target for hackers/terrorists/people with nothing better to do to try and find out classified secrets?
Sure. If you use information, you risk it getting leaked. However, if you do not use it, it does you no good. A lot of information probably comes from sources that are publicly available, or that aren't that secret. Sharing it, along with analysis and meta-data, makes sense.
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Couldn't this become a huge target for hackers/terrorists/people with nothing better to do to try and find out classified secrets? Somehow I think that putting this sort of information on the web (and I don't care how you think you can lock it down) isn't a smart idea.
and we thought the MySpace photo leakage was bad!
James Bond in the 21st Century. (Score:4, Funny)
But, he'll have to be careful! You never know if the profile picture is faked and it's really Dr. Evil posting!!
Re:James Bond in the 21st Century. (Score:5, Funny)
If the hot Chinese "spy" says she's 14, James can be pretty sure it's really Chris Hansen.
"Have a seat, Mr. Bond."
Good idea? (Score:3, Insightful)
I was under the impression that the identity of the sources of information in the intelligence world were very carefully guarded to protect those sources. Even some of the information is often not distributed because it might give clues to the identity of the source.
Myspace for spies doesn't sound like anything a self respecting (non-suicidal) spy would want anything to do with.
Analysts, on the other hand, talking about things they see on TV, might love it.
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99.9% of what intelligence agencies do is actually analyst, not spies. The covert(operations) side of the house is a completely different world from what I have read.
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I don't work for any agency that has initials.
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Analysts, on the other hand, talking about things they see on TV, might love it.
Hence, A-Space.
Applications? (Score:1)
Will they be able to compete with the Naughty Meter and send Karma to each other? Will there be a friends group for Gitmo?
Re:Applications? (Score:5, Funny)
They should create a parallel site like Slashdot, called Spydot, where intelligence can be moderated (Score 5: Funny).
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Slashdot (Score:1)
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They already did. The Iraq war got started because some idiot modded "OMG IRAQ TOTALLY HAS WMDZ!!1" up to +3 Funny, +1 Insightful, and +1 Justification to Invade Country That Fucked with Daddy.
Interesting (Score:3, Interesting)
They have been up to some interesting things. Sharing information really isn't the CIA or NSA's normal routine.This is a organization that still calls spies "collaborators" after all.
I do know that they also have a Wiki system up for sharing information. It's going to make tracking down leaks much much harder, but it will help eliminate the kind of intellegence gotcha's that hurt us on 9/11. Some of the other restrictions - thoose in laws will still be a issue, but hopefully this well help address things.
Don't look for the domestic groups to get too involved though - the chain of evidence rules would restrict them too much, which is a shame.
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I am concerned about the civil liberties implications of this wiki (or whatever they're calling it). There is quite a great risk that information gathered for foreign intelligence purposes could be used against US citizens in unrelated investigations.
This illustrates the biggest problem with the US intelligence agency/law enforecement: the schizophrenic nature of the FBI. The FBI has several mandates:
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Given that the information is classified, to do so would break federal law.
I agree with your analysis, but can you imagine anything more scary to the tin foil crowd here?"
US created agency for domestic spying" ZOMG, Bush is coming to eat you.
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I'm expanding here to get some clarifications and I'm making a few leaping, uninformed statments here .....
But, if there are elements of the FBI gathering intelligence on domestic terrorists and a separate for international, then doesn't that mean, technically that that info could go on A-Space? And, wouldn't that also put Dept. Homeland Security in a conflicting state of interest since its under the umbrella of CIA and FBI (where the CIA isn't supposed to get domestic information)? Maybe under DHS it chang
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Facebook^w Myspace site??? (Score:1)
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They could have called it "I-Spy", but I think that name has been taken, already.
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The combination of letters made me think of anagrams. All that I could come up with was single words and they didn't use all nine letters. Some searching led me to this site:
http://www.sternestmeanings.com/ [sternestmeanings.com]
It came up with "If in scabs."
For "the slashdot effect" it came back with "the affected sloths."
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
Social networking?? (Score:5, Funny)
Aldrich Ames and the the CIA are now friends
Robert Hanssen and The FBI are now friends
Aldrich Ames and The KGB are now friends they found each other through the soviet consulate in Washington D.C.
Robert Hanssen and The KGB are now friends they found each other through The GRU
Robert Hanssen is sharing The FBI's secrets with The Espionage Application
The FBI is wondering why his business is all in the streets.
Aldrich Ames is going to Moscow!!!
Aldrich Ames just got busted (Aspace Mobile)
Robert Hanssen LOL @ Aldrich Ames, amateur
Aldrich Ames has joined Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex
Robert Hanssen is wondering what took the FBI so long (Aspace Mobile)
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High Value Target or Honeypot (Score:3, Insightful)
This will go one of two ways: it will either be the highest-value target for enemy spy agencies in history ("Your enemy's information, delivered" to paraphrase AT&T) or it will end up as a nothing-really-here honeypot.
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Intellipedia also has a less sensitive version out on the WWW, though I don't know how far they'd go with A-Space.
Some more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellipedia [wikipedia.org]
Dumb dumb dumb (Score:3, Interesting)
Not the idea itself, which, I suppose, is OK. Life tends to imitates fiction, anyway (esp. in tech).
But why exactly is USA Spooks, Inc. publicizing this thing? Does not seem prudent to me....
Image,image,image (Score:2, Interesting)
Probably because...let's face it. The intelligence community has an image problem. 9/11 and other incidents made them look like dinosaurs. They need to convince people that they're changing, and for the better. Both internally as well as externally.
A Space? (Score:5, Funny)
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How come I never have mod points when a comment truely deserves modding up...
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I'm not surprised (Score:2)
Social Networking (Score:2)
Two Letters.... (Score:2)
...B. S.
Should have named it SpySpace... (Score:2)
I think that they'd have been better to have named it something nicer like SpySpace.
Of course, it could have been worse and been something like asspace.
Right.... (Score:1)
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The info would likely only be accessible on the Governments JWICS network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JWICS [wikipedia.org] , which is pretty darned secure (or whatever network the government has that the public does not know about). You gotta remember that the cryptography that is publicly available is approved by the NSA, and that the better cryptography is kept by them for their own super secrect stuff. Also, to access a terminal connected to the JWICS network, one would need a Top Secret/SCI clearance, and those termi
Sounds like.... (Score:2)
......a Honeypot, to me.
Why the hell announce it, if it was anything BUT a Honey pot?
Wikileaks (Score:2, Funny)
How is it hosted? (Score:2)
Is it hosted on Microsoft servers? I could have sworn I saw Bill Gates showing off his A-Space on that video with Jerry Seinfeld...
in Soviet Russia MySpace hacks KGB (Score:1)
7 yrs late, they figure out "talk to each other." (Score:1)
More info about the site (Score:2)
is available here [ybcw.com].
it won't be available to the public (Score:2)
Give it a few days and it will be.
Um. Okay WTF?! (Score:2)
They don't already have some way of sharing information?
How the hell have we survived this long?
What middle? (Score:4, Funny)
What middle? It will be on an internal government network that is isolated from the internet. The "man in the middle" will be whatever agency is managing this (CIA? NSA? If I were to tell you I'd have to kill you).
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Just sit in the Pentagon parking lot with a wardriving kit and you will have no problem getting in.
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Exactly,
It only takes one asshole to leave a WiFi point open.
Re:What middle? (Score:4, Informative)
Ha, ha! Silly boy. You've obviously never been to the Pentagon. If you try this, within a few minutes a very nice gentleman with a very large automatic weapon will politely ask you what you are doing. And you had better be able to satisfactorily explain yourself.
Re:Guard, No Problem (Score:2)
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If it is a mechanical isolation then it might be secure. But if it's a software form of isolation I'll wager it will be cracked soon enough.And since it is a social site for spies they will need to connect from home and that probably does indicate that the isolation is software based.
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Most government networks require employees to use encrypted VPNs. This includes government agencies that do work that is not confidential, e.g. the NIH. So the FBI and CIA most definitely use secure connections if not private connections for everything.
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