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General Discussion => The Speakeasy: OOG/Off-topic Discussion => Topic started by: Aldrith Shutaq on 09 Dec 2013, 11:52

Title: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Aldrith Shutaq on 09 Dec 2013, 11:52
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/nsa-spies-online-games-world-warcraft-second-life

Clearly we need to upgrade our 1337 speak to a full blown code language now!
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Vic Van Meter on 09 Dec 2013, 11:57
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/nsa-spies-online-games-world-warcraft-second-life

Clearly we need to upgrade our 1337 speak to a full blown code language now!

My mind is still blown that this is all so surprising to everyone.  We can just assume that someone on this board is the NSA and they're logging all the chat, looking to see if any of us are working for Al'Qaida.

That's kind of the point of the NSA.  They're sort of the Indian call center of the CIA that they send to do the long, boring slog through random chat systems to gather data.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Aldrith Shutaq on 09 Dec 2013, 12:06
I just find it funny that intelligence analysts get assigned to Second Life and have to blend in with furries to get intel.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Morwen Lagann on 09 Dec 2013, 12:25
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/nsa-spies-online-games-world-warcraft-second-life

Clearly we need to upgrade our 1337 speak to a full blown code language now!

My mind is still blown that this is all so surprising to everyone.  We can just assume that someone on this board is the NSA and they're logging all the chat, looking to see if any of us are working for Al'Qaida.

That's kind of the point of the NSA.  They're sort of the Indian call center of the CIA that they send to do the long, boring slog through random chat systems to gather data.

This, really.

That said, I get the feeling that any NSA staff assigned to EVE would very quickly label everyone as a potential terrorist. :lol:
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Katrina Oniseki on 09 Dec 2013, 12:53
Quote
One problem the paper's unnamed author and others in the agency faced in making their case – and avoiding suspicion that their goal was merely to play computer games at work without getting fired – was the difficulty of proving terrorists were even thinking about using games to communicate.

LOL
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Vic Van Meter on 09 Dec 2013, 13:04
Quote
One problem the paper's unnamed author and others in the agency faced in making their case – and avoiding suspicion that their goal was merely to play computer games at work without getting fired – was the difficulty of proving terrorists were even thinking about using games to communicate.

LOL

Why wouldn't they?
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Esna Pitoojee on 09 Dec 2013, 19:25
I remember reading an article from when the very first NSA spying allegations broke, about how they were concerned about people using video games as giant VPNs, with the crowd to hide in. So yes, you may add me to the 'shocked this is a surprise at all' crowd.

Mind you, I don't think any terrorists are hiding in EVE. It's a very poor choice, considering that it costs money each month to use... and that we're a freakishly paranoid bunch whose internal security departments sometimes seem to be tighter than the NSA itself.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Aellos Lisetier on 09 Dec 2013, 20:10
I remember reading an article from when the very first NSA spying allegations broke, about how they were concerned about people using video games as giant VPNs, with the crowd to hide in. So yes, you may add me to the 'shocked this is a surprise at all' crowd.

Mind you, I don't think any terrorists are hiding in EVE. It's a very poor choice, considering that it costs money each month to use... and that we're a freakishly paranoid bunch whose internal security departments sometimes seem to be tighter than the NSA itself.

Well that and it's hard to co-ordinate your latest terrorist plot when you're too busy being scammed, ganked and steamrollered by a null-sec fleet who were on their way somewhere else every five seconds  :lol:
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Vic Van Meter on 09 Dec 2013, 21:52
I remember reading an article from when the very first NSA spying allegations broke, about how they were concerned about people using video games as giant VPNs, with the crowd to hide in. So yes, you may add me to the 'shocked this is a surprise at all' crowd.

Mind you, I don't think any terrorists are hiding in EVE. It's a very poor choice, considering that it costs money each month to use... and that we're a freakishly paranoid bunch whose internal security departments sometimes seem to be tighter than the NSA itself.

Hey, as far as they're concerned, it's worth it to buy a 20 dollar phone with a 10 dollar top up card to use once and throw away.  EVE membership would be cheaper, technically.

It might be more easily traceable, though, since the Internet's a pretty bad place to try to have covert dealings.  Particularly because information very rarely actually goes away on the Internet.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Silas Vitalia on 10 Dec 2013, 09:32
So. uh.

As a member of JIHADASQUAD I would like to welcome all of our new NSA members.  Thanks for joining!

Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Vic Van Meter on 10 Dec 2013, 10:00
So. uh.

As a member of JIHADASQUAD I would like to welcome all of our new NSA members.  Thanks for joining!

You could really mess with them.  Just every now and then, insert a couple things that you know will be keywords in their search.  Throw in a couple "infidels", "embassies", and "holy month of Ramadans" and you should have at least a few thousand people watching your battle.

Maybe you could be sponsored.  Get Jimmy Johns to advertise so that whenever you attract an NSA agent's attention, he wants a sandwich.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Ollie on 11 Dec 2013, 00:54

I remember reading an article from when the very first NSA spying allegations broke, about how they were concerned about people using video games as giant VPNs, with the crowd to hide in. So yes, you may add me to the 'shocked this is a surprise at all' crowd.

Mind you, I don't think any terrorists are hiding in EVE. It's a very poor choice, considering that it costs money each month to use... and that we're a freakishly paranoid bunch whose internal security departments sometimes seem to be tighter than the NSA itself.

There were reports going back 5 years or more regarding various illegal groups using free to play games, particularly ones based overseas. I think Wired did an article on organised crime making use of them, to avoid phone taps and attempt to confound some of the laws specifically targeting them in the US for however long it took the authorities to catch up with technology.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Druur Monakh on 11 Dec 2013, 23:28
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/09/nsa-spies-online-games-world-warcraft-second-life

Clearly we need to upgrade our 1337 speak to a full blown code language now!

My mind is still blown that this is all so surprising to everyone.  We can just assume that someone on this board is the NSA and they're logging all the chat, looking to see if any of us are working for Al'Qaida.

That's kind of the point of the NSA.  They're sort of the Indian call center of the CIA that they send to do the long, boring slog through random chat systems to gather data.

This, really.

That said, I get the feeling that any NSA staff assigned to EVE would very quickly label everyone as a potential terrorist. :lol:

Except members of the GIA - those would be invited to their Cross-Intelligence Agency coordination group. And to teach seminars.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Lyn Farel on 12 Dec 2013, 05:46
So. uh.

As a member of JIHADASQUAD I would like to welcome all of our new NSA members.  Thanks for joining!

May I introduce you our best undercover agent. Formed over the years on Second Life in the Gorean community and made his teeth on Argent Dawn before setting up a brothel project in Elwynn on a pve server. He oriented his investigation on the server Kirin Tor following rumours of a virtual training camp for a salafi 5th column that would answer to the name of Stormwind Guard...
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: GoGo Yubari on 14 Dec 2013, 22:52
Gah, we knew this and if you didn't you haven't been paying attention. One thing I find a little surprising and I'm not sure if it's just because how it is reported, but the news is saying they were playing these games, posing as players. I mean sure, to make their sigint info pulls possible, but I really don't think they're spending much time talking to players, infiltrating raids/ops, etc.
Title: Re: That Wasn't a Corp Spy, That Was the NSA!
Post by: Vic Van Meter on 14 Dec 2013, 23:09
Gah, we knew this and if you didn't you haven't been paying attention. One thing I find a little surprising and I'm not sure if it's just because how it is reported, but the news is saying they were playing these games, posing as players. I mean sure, to make their sigint info pulls possible, but I really don't think they're spending much time talking to players, infiltrating raids/ops, etc.

Hey, if they're essentially playing professionally, I'm not going to complain.  I'll bet they're some of the best we've got in LFR.