News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by irishcoffee on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @08:51AM (#12297097)
> 5) Knowing this, NSA's hackers (TAO) are told not to leave their hack tools ("binaries") on the server after an op. But people get lazy.

I know enough to say that this sentence reveals a lot about what snowden knows, and what he doesn't. Mostly the latter. He doesn't seem to understand the context and meaning of acronyms he uses.

Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by jmnicolas on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @08:55AM (#12297124)
I know enough to say that an anonymous comment on the internet pretending to know about NSA procedures & jargon is not worth much especially when said comment is attacking someone we know for sure had access to the NSA.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by irishcoffee on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @10:07AM (#12297531)
Alright bud. I don't have a facebook, twitter, instagram, or any of that other stuff, so I'm not sure how to refute your claim of anonymous. I can say that anonymous hostile replies sure don't do much to further the conversation. What do they say, something about pots and kettles?
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by Someone1234 on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @10:39AM (#12297729)
A year ago you said you don't work for the NSA or DoD but know one person who does:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9297990

Are you seriously expecting us to believe that your friend is telling you how the NSA is internally structured and how sensitive foreign operation intelligence programs work?

Plus in another comment of yours you claimed to know how General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle worked behind the scenes but when asked to post more info you never did.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10954248

So you're seemingly a Linux admin, but know tons about the inner workings of both military contractors, the DoD, and NSA from your single friend? Seems uhh a stretch, let's just say that.

Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by runjake on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @11:31AM (#12298082)
> Plus in another comment of yours you claimed to know how General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle

He spelled it "Grey Eagle". It's unlikely one can actually speak "professionally" about a program when they can't spell it correctly.

If you're part of the program, you're seeing/typing/writing the name "Gray Eagle" day in/day out.

Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by irishcoffee on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @12:20PM (#12298466)
Heh, if you're part of the program, you may also call it 280, or 64-bit. But, you'd only know that if, ya know, you're actually part of the program.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by solipsism on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @03:05PM (#12299769)
Oh no, I'm part of the program now!
[dead]
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by irishcoffee on Wednesday August 17, 2016 @10:26AM (#12304931)
You must be young. It's generally an after-dinner dessert drink.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by opaque on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @09:06AM (#12297184)
Care to elaborate? TAO (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailored_Access_Operations) seems fine to me.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by irishcoffee on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @10:02AM (#12297507)
TAO is composed of much, much more than "hackers". To give him the benefit of the doubt, his comment shows willful ignorance of this fact.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by Someone1234 on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @10:15AM (#12297572)
No it doesn't.

To use an analogy this is like someone saying the "US Army" in reference to infantrymen specifically and then someone, such as yourself, coming along throwing their hands up and saying "The US Army is composed of much more than just 'infantrymen,' this comment shows willful ignorance of that fact."

We can all read the Wikipedia article on the TAO[0]. You aren't fooling anyone by acting like you know more than is publically available, and trying to correct someone who provably worked for the NSA seems at best arrogant, at worst ridiculous.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailored_Access_Operations

Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by ceejayoz on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @11:05AM (#12297920)
C'mon, it's Twitter, where you only have 140 characters. He's not going to type out "NSA's hackers (generally part of the group known as Tailored Access Operations, but there are some in other groups)" just so you can't be pedantic.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by pests on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @09:35AM (#12297366)
The quoted tweet uses two acronyms. Which is incorrect?

You say acronyms as a plural.

Can you please identify two or more specific usages (hopefully with citation!) of Snowden using acronyms incorrectly?

Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by irishcoffee on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @10:07AM (#12297538)
TAO is composed of much more than hackers, and hackers are in other groups besides TAO. No, I don't have link-able sources.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by fweespeech on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @10:30AM (#12297683)
Yes, TAO is more than hackers. NSA isn't the only organization in possession of SigInt groups which operate like this, hell, its a pretty long list of groups.

However, you may want to consider Snowden isn't hostile enough to go through and list ever group in the US that maintains an arsenal of malware for operations in public. That doesn't necessarily mean ignorance, a more generous interpretation is everyone knows about TAO so he calls it TAO.

I realize you probably don't like the guy, but would you really preferred he list off every SigInt group in the US with a malware arsenal just to cover all his bases and all of their component groups that operate in relation to it?

Idk about you, but I don't need him to post org charts of all of that to get the gist.

Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by pests on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @12:11PM (#12298393)
Yoy also need to realize his audience and this communication medium. He is speaking to the Americans public. He needs it as simple as can be.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by cinquemb on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @10:17AM (#12297586)
Seems like it would a be a fun multidisciplinary place to work, but wouldn't wanna jump through all the hoops and tend to weight any quest for "secret" knowledge with such that the limit approaches zero.
Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by js8 on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @11:21AM (#12298024)
> it would a be a fun multidisciplinary place to work

They apparently don't shy from morally questionable ways to accomplish their goals. So if you are into it.. Snowden actually wasn't and that was one of the reasons why he decided to quit CIA and eventually become a whistleblower.

Re:Snowden: Hack of an NSA server is not unprecedented, publ... by cinquemb on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @11:36AM (#12298116)
> but wouldn't wanna jump through all the hoops and tend to weight any quest for "secret" knowledge with such that the limit approaches zero.

There was this part, i also tend to think there are more technically interesting problems than circle jerking over the latest js framework for engaging with skinner boxes that more people get the so wonderful opportunity to make decent money for.

>* Snowden actually wasn't and that was one of the reasons why he decided to quit CIA and eventually become a whistleblower.*

I also dont see snowden as a hero like most paint him to be, binney, drake et al. and many others came before (whose opinions get often ignored compared to the latest lord savior). The fact that he tends to get the most paid press offerings and stamp of approval from the media™ tends to make me think lower of him, as with his dubious "service" in the first place… shrugs… his life, not mine.