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A comment on Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Chinese Agents. Parent comment

Re:Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Ch... by dalore on Thursday August 16, 2018 @06:08AM (#17773337)
Why are they using an off the shelf secure communication system from the Middle East? Surely something this important is a national secret and should be developed in house with your best minds.

If it's off the shelf and others are using, then they can just buy the equipment and look for flaws (like this massive one).

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Ch... by jackvalentine on Thursday August 16, 2018 @06:20AM (#17773397)
As I understood it, it was a system they were using in the Middle East (developed in house) and they took it to China to use. Might be wrong though.
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Re:Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Ch... by noir_lord on Thursday August 16, 2018 @06:27AM (#17773425)
That's crazy.

Threat model from China in terms of infosec is very different than middle East countries (except isreal perhaps).

Not that it was a good idea in either region.

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Re:Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Ch... by jackvalentine on Friday August 17, 2018 @03:01AM (#17780841)
I see you too read the article!
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Re:Botched CIA Communications System Helped Blow Cover of Ch... by sandworm101 on Thursday August 16, 2018 @09:53AM (#17774590)
Off the shelf may also mean you dont have to smuggle it. It is much easier to hide if there is no special equipment in someone's closet. It sounds like they were using Tor.
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