Many internet users will be feeling slightly bemused by the worldwide reaction to the revelations about US surveillance technology. As President Obama, the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, and many other senior politicians have said, what do the innocent have to fear? Why would the National Security Agency (NSA), or anyone else, care about your search [...]
Archive for the ‘Government Cyber Wars’ Category
Yes, NSA surveillance should worry the law-abiding
June 11th, 2013 
National Cyber Security 
Posted in General, Government Cyber Wars 
Tags: nsa, priSM, Privacy, The NSA files, united-states, US national security, US politics 
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With troops and techies, U.S. prepares for cyber warfare
June 7th, 2013 National Cyber Security The command, based at Fort Meade, Maryland, about 25 miles north of Washington, is rushing to add between 3,000 and 4,000 new cyber warriors under its wing by late 2015, more than quadrupling its size. Most of Cyber Command’s new troops will focus on defence, detecting and stopping computer penetrations of military and other critical [...]
Google, Facebook Told U.K.: We Won’t Be Snoops
June 2nd, 2013 National Cyber Security The debate over how best to equip the British police security services to stop more terrorist atrocities like the Woolwich slaying of a soldier last week has taken yet another turn — with U.S. Web giants including Google revealed as saying they don’t want any part in a possible revival of a “snooper’s charter.” The [...]
Obama to Press Cybersecurity Concerns in Meeting with China’s Xi
May 31st, 2013 National Cyber Security President Obama has a message for his Chinese counterpart when the two meet next week: China needs to restrain its digital snooping. Concerns over cyber espionage from China are expected to be among issues the President raises with President Xi Jinping at a meeting in Rancho Mirage, Calif., the White House said on Wednesday. The [...]
Black group objects to White House choice for Secret Service chief
March 13th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group representing black law enforcement executives urged the White House not to choose retired official David O’Connor as the new Secret Service director because “nothing will change” in the agency’s culture or treatment of minorities, according to a letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday. The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement [...]
Email to Obama’s Secret Service choice part of racism lawsuit
March 6th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration is moving ahead with its choice for a new Secret Service director – former assistant director David O’Connor – after reviewing documents in a lawsuit that charges top agency officials with condoning racial discrimination, according to two sources familiar with the process. That lawsuit had been languishing in federal [...]
U.S. agency says average cost of immigrant detention $119 per day
February 28th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A government agency caught in a political firestorm for releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants from detention because of budget concerns said on Thursday the cost of holding someone was more than six times that of alternative supervision methods. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has been sharply criticized by some Republicans in [...]
U.S. lawmakers raise concerns about Obama’s drone policies
February 28th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee – Republicans and Democrats alike – expressed concern on Wednesday about U.S. drone strikes against American citizens and President Barack Obama’s secrecy in laying out the legal justifications. The public congressional hearing on “drone-kill policy” was noteworthy: government officials refrained for years from even uttering the [...]
Lawmakers raise concerns about Obama’s drone policies
February 27th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee – Republicans and Democrats alike – expressed concern on Wednesday about U.S. drone strikes against American citizens and President Barack Obama’s secrecy in laying out the legal justifications. The public congressional hearing on “drone-kill policy” was noteworthy: government officials refrained for years from even uttering the [...]
Former envoy Pickering on problems at Benghazi mission
February 24th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former American diplomat Thomas Pickering said what struck him most during a review of last year’s attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, were the frequent personnel changes, second-guessing on security upgrades, and dismissive attitude toward dozens of security incidents. The temporary status of the mission also led to uncertainty about [...]
Nominee for CIA chief says casualties from drone strikes should be public
February 15th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s pick for CIA director, John Brennan, promised senators who will vote on his nomination more openness about U.S. counter-terrorism programs, saying the closely guarded number of civilian casualties from drone strikes should be made public, according to his written responses to questions released on Friday. Brennan was questioned sharply [...]
Posted in Government Cyber Wars Tags: casualties, chief, Drone, From, nominee, public, says, Should, strikes Comments OffObama calls N.Korea nuclear test ‘provocative act’
February 13th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama called a nuclear test on Tuesday by North Korea a “highly provocative act” and said Pyongyang’s “threatening activities” warranted action by the international community. Obama was expected to mention North Korea in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, but the president would not give any hints [...]
Posted in Government Cyber Wars Tags: Act., calls, N.Korea, Nuclear, obama, Test, “provocative Comments OffU.S. withdrawing 34,000 troops from Afghanistan within a year
February 13th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday that 34,000 troops – about half the U.S. force in Afghanistan – will withdraw by early 2014, bringing the United States one step closer to wrapping up the costly, unpopular war. Obama announced the withdrawal in his annual State of the Union address, as he renewed [...]
Posted in Government Cyber Wars Tags: 34000, afghanistan, From, troops, U.S., withdrawing, within, year Comments OffObama calls North Korea nuclear test “provocative act”
February 12th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama called a nuclear test on Tuesday by North Korea a “highly provocative act” and said Pyongyang’s “threatening activities” warranted action by the international community. Obama was expected to mention North Korea in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, but the president would not give any hints about [...]
Posted in Government Cyber Wars Tags: Act., calls, Korea, north, Nuclear, obama, Test, “provocative Comments OffDrone policy, harsh interrogations focus of CIA nominee hearing
February 8th, 2013 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s nominee for CIA director, John Brennan, said on Thursday he did not try to stop waterboarding, an interrogation technique that some consider torture, as he faced tough congressional questioning on that issue, security leaks and the use of drones to kill U.S. terrorism suspects. Lawmakers grilled Brennan on controversial [...]
Posted in Government Cyber Wars Tags: Drone, focus, Harsh, Hearing, interrogations, nominee, policy Comments Off
