Cyber-espionage America's intelligence chop tens of thousands Computers - FAZ - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

The American intelligence seem to have provided tens of thousands of computers around the world with software back doors through which they gain access to data or all networks. By the end of this year, it should therefore be prepared at least 85,000 such machines, writes the “Washington Post” on the basis of documents from the collection of the informant Edward Snowden. The NSA has also developed a system that millions of infected computers can automatically control.

In 2011, the American intelligence services had performed a total of 231 cyber attacks, they say. The number was caught in a leaked draft of Snowden budget. Of these “offensive operations” according to budget were directed against targets with the highest priority, almost three quarters. According to a former official were among actions against targets in countries such as Iran, Russia, China and North Korea.

more information about these attacks did not exist. America’s intelligence agencies defined in accordance with a presidential directive from the October 2012 offensive cyber operations as manipulation or destruction of information in computers or computer networks, or the computers and networks themselves Most of these actions have a direct impact only on data and functionality of computers of the opponent: The connections for example, would slow down.

code name “Genie”

is a prominent example of a national cyber attack, the Stuxnet computer worm that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear program a few years ago. IT security experts are convinced that Western intelligence stuck behind Stuxnet, although this was never officially confirmed.

More often break the intelligence hackers according to the report in a computer in order to absorb data. The actions were code-named “Genius” (spirit). By the end of this year should be placed on at least 85,000 computers worldwide strategically selected as part of “genius” special software. This software could for example record and transmit data.

in 2008 had been attacked in this way only 21,252 computers, writes the “Washington Post”, referring to the intelligence budget. However, in large computer networks could also just open an infected device access to hundreds of thousands more.

codenamed “turbine”

secret software often serve only as a back door for possible future requests, said a former official of the “Washington Post”. According to the documents have been fully exploited by the nearly 69,000 infected computers only 8448 in 2011. This had to do with human resources, although 1870 people were employed in the project already.

but

future should a system codenamed “turbine” also provide for the automatic operation of millions infiltrated spy programs on other computers. Specialists of NSAs also worked on covert software can make the relevant calls in computer networks locate and record.

intelligence hackers could in connecting devices such as routers and also behind firewall security systems from different vendors break, it said. They also do not shied away from buying information about software vulnerabilities. This $ 25.1 million are planned for this year. The U.S. accuses China for years to operate using similar methods cyber espionage in the West. A crucial difference is, however, that American programs would not be used for industrial espionage.

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chop tens of thousands of computer

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America’s intelligence chop tens of thousands of computer

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that access to Western intelligence and hacking methods has long been clear for experts. Snowden from the papers that the dimension of American cyber attacks now goes out for the first time.

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