Theos-Talk Archives (November 1999 Message tl00223)

In a message dated 11/17/99 8:06:36 PM Central Standard Time,
ambain@ambain.screaming.net writes:

> Dear Grigor,
>
>  Oh well.  There are a few unihabited rocks in these parts, but I suspect
>  Internet facilities are not available on them.
>
>  I'll have to think about this one.
>
Consider this, as a former physicist in SU, next instrument of choice for
intelligence gathering and for terroism is www.  Through commercial
and financial channels, foreign governments can collect an immense
amount of information on individual citizens of US.  For example, the
Iraqis (even back in primitive early 90s with 94 really being the
watershed for ISPs to take off), through their financial nets, had
info on the decline of ATM use, check-verification, and marketing
info-demongraphics on who typically buys what and declines
on that to indicate to them that a military base in that town
was on alert and probably mobilized.  They had through same
channels info on all US officer corp, were they married, did they
have kids, did the kids attend daycare, if so which and when and
where, what time and who could pick them up, did they get home
from school before their parents (latch keykids), which officers
had gambling debts or a heavy alcohol expense, plus info on
all US citizens that owned guns.  Now this is routine.  US citizens
have limited protection from only their federal government under
1974 and outdated privacy act but none with respect to state,
local governments, private business, or foreign governments
(through business nets).  There are powerful psychological
potraits, built up from insurance billing information, ISP
marketing info on subscribers (even if anonymous alone,
combined with other data it can often lead to a specific
identification -thats what happened when the Navy, using
commercial data,its own personnel data, plus data bought
from AOL identified and discharged that highest ranking
enlisted officer because he was gay), debit card and credit
card purchases, grocery store, department store, video store
customer records, etc.  These potraits depict past buying
preferences, typical routines and behaviors that yield powerful
predictions about what the indivdual might do.  The first step
is called "data matching" usually using SS # for US citizens.
Next step is "data profiling" that creates this psychological
potrait.  Plus, with the replacement of digital cameras for
video ones, where it is easier to just store the images than
erase them, several pictures of individuals at gas pump, ATM
or store accompanies rest of data.  The same info collection
can apply to organizations as well.

It is terrorist weapon of choice.  Consider, you do not have to
leave country that hosts your activity.  You do not have to
risk smuggling in bomb components, chemical agents,
or biological ones and risk exposure.  So, in last year, there
were two security breaches of Exxon oil refinery/chemical
plant/natural gas facility in Richmond CA.  This is surrounded
by three navy bases close by the most important of which,
now, is Alameda where old nuclear boats are mothballed
and nuclear material disposed of.  The Exxon facility was
hacked by foreigners with not an actual attempt but an
exploration of the possibility to cause a major explosion
and toxic cloud over Bay Area.  The Union Carbide plant
in West Virginia is very similar to one in Bhopal India.  It
has had security penetrations to see if explosion and
toxic cloud, with prevailing winds,could result in poisoning
most of Virginia and DC.  Palo, IA nuclear power plant
penetrations with exploration of ability to cause disaster
whose cloud would drift east over Chicago/Great Lakes.
And finally (but not final episode like these), two penetrations
into the military controlled Idaho Falls breeder facility that
makes weapons grade Plutonium to explore same possibility.
British, French, Canadians, and most NATO members have
reports of similar incidents where "hackers" are traced to
places like Libya, Chechyna, Serbia, etc.

There are no remote areas.

Grigor