CIA Operational Security Failures
Do you like Tom Clancy novels? Here’s a real-life story where the spies failed.
Operational Security, OPSEC, is hard. Even for the CIA.
Presentation by Matthew Cole of NBC News given at the Blackhat conference in 2013.
Seems that the metadata is more important than the actual conversation for cell phones. 25 minutes watching this video will make it clear even to non-technical people why we need to end US, state and local government spying of US citizens by the use of electronic means and license plate tracking.
Metadata alone was used by Italian authorities to determine about 18 US spies with 30 phones who snatched a suspect (Italian citizen) off the street in Milan in 2003. That person showed up about 14 months later in Egypt.
Phone metadata discovered this using a tool called “Analysts Notebook.”
Still Wanted
These US spies are still wanted in Italy after being convicted in-absentia for kidnapping. One was detained years later in Panama trying to get back to the USA. Foreign travel for US spies involved is over.
Not Just USA and Italy Using this Metadata
Hezbollah has used similar capabilities that the Italians used (US provided) in 2011 to snatch American Hezbollah spies. 90% of US assets in Lebanon were taken out – thanks to metadata.
Metadata is far more telling than the actual conversation.
- Matthew Cole
Not Just Spies
This is important stuff, not just for spies, but for you. Sure, you may not think your life is that important, but perhaps someone you know has something, perfectly legal, they would rather not have known.
Personal Tracking Devices
We all carry personal tracking devices almost everywhere we go, you know, a cell phone. Tracking a cell phone, minute-by-minute, is possible.
Do not assume that powering it off or using airplane-mode is enough. Faraday bags and pulling the battery is necessary. Using an iphone or Nexus phone? Good luck pulling the battery.
Also, changing the SIM isn’t enough. Every phone has a unique identifier, This mistake was used to connect the 18 spies to the US consulate in Italy providing proof that the USA was responsible for the kidnapping.
Anyway, enjoy.
