- Joined
- Apr 15, 2009
- Messages
- 47,250
- Thread Author
- #1
NSA Surveillance Can Penetrate VPNs
National Security Agency's XKeyscore system can collect just about everything that happens online, even things encrypted by VPNs, according to Edward Snowden.
The National Security Agency has a system that allows it to collect pretty much everything a user does on the Internet, according to a report published by The Guardian on Wednesday, apparently even when those activities are done under the presumed protection of a virtual private network (VPN).
The Guardian's information comes from whistleblower Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor now seeking asylum in Russia from U.S. authorities for revealing classified documents about the NSA's intelligence-gathering capabilities to the media. The news organization's report suggests that Snowden's claim that he could wiretap anyone from his desk, dismissed by U.S. lawmakers as false, was essentially accurate.
Described in a 2008 presentation, the system, called XKeyscore, can reportedly track email addresses, logins, phone numbers, IP addresses and online activities — files, email contents, Facebook chats, for example — and can cross-reference this information with other metadata.
NSA Surveillance Can Penetrate VPNs
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2023
- Messages
- 41,091
NSA Surveillance Can Penetrate VPNs In a revealing discussion, Edward Snowden's disclosures shed light on the capabilities of the National Security Agency (NSA), particularly its XKeyscore system that reportedly can breach user privacy even when protected by Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). This information isn't new, but as of 2024, it continues to resonate within ongoing debates about digital privacy and government surveillance.