The international edition of Der Spiegel reports Snowden documents reveal NSA and GCHQ are seeking to map the entire Internet, including end-user devices. In pursuing that goal, they have broken into networks belonging to Deutsche Telekom, Netcologne, German satellite teleport operators Stellar, Cetel, and IABG; they also designated Stellar's CEO Christian Steffen and nine other employees for surveillance.
Treasure Map [the program under which the breach reportedly happened] [...] it is the mandate for a massive raid on the digital world. It aims to map the Internet, and not just the large traffic channels, such as telecommunications cables. It also seeks to identify the devices across which our data flows, so-called routers.
Treasure Map graphics don't just provide detailed views of German cable and satellite networks. Red markings also reveal to agents which carriers and internal company networks FiveEyes agencies claim to have already accessed. Of particular interest from the German perspective are two "Autonomous Systems" (AS) — networks — marked in red. They are labeled Deutsche Telekom AG and Netcologne, a Cologne-based provider.
The legend for the graphics in question explains the meaning behind the red markings: "Red Core Nodes: SIGINT Collection access points within AS." SIGINT refers to signals intelligence. In other words, networks marked with a red dot are under observation.
Telekom and Netcologne are not the first German companies to have been successfully hacked by Anglo-American intelligence agencies, according to their own documents. In March, SPIEGEL reported on the large-scale attack by the British agency GCHQ on German satellite teleport operators Stellar, Cetel, and IABG. Such providers offer satellite Internet connections to remote regions of the world. All three companies are marked red on the Treasuremap graphic, meaning that the NSA and its partner agencies have, according to their documents, internal "Collection Access Points."
[Stellar] CEO Steffen commented on the document with a terse "Fuck!" He considers it to be final proof that his company's systems were illegally breached. "The hacked server stood behind our company's own firewall," he said. "The only way of accessing it is if you first successfully break into our network."
[...] "A cyber-attack of this nature is a clear criminal offense under German law," he said. "I want to know why we were a target and exactly how the attack against us was conducted — if for no other reason than to be able to protect myself and my customers from this happening again." Six weeks ago, Steffen wrote a letter to the British government asking for an explanation, but he has not received an answer. Both GCHQ and NSA have likewise declined comment on the matter.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Monday September 15 2014, @02:00AM
from TFA:
Figuring out where that server is and publicizing what it holds, before taking a sledge to it, would be quite the treasure trove.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Monday September 15 2014, @04:03AM
My guess is close to either DE-CIX and/or AS3220.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday September 15 2014, @02:44AM
Isn't this exactly what the NSA is supposed to do? You know, spy on the rest of the world like it was set up to do rather than its own citizens.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3) by aristarchus on Monday September 15 2014, @02:52AM
Hrm, but spying on your allies is still considered bad form. Or at least getting caught spying on your allies is. Look up the Pollard case. Of course, that involved actual real spy type stuff, and none of this "Signals Intelligence" nonsense.
(Score: 2) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 15 2014, @03:47AM
Last I recall Germany is still a member of NATO, and hence on paper an ally of the United States. Now I think Angela Merkel must be thinking with allies like that, who needs enemies. I wonder how the US would react if it came out that the Bundesnachrichtendienst's Technische Aufklärung was caught hacking into AT&T, Level 3, Qwest, and Sprint in the same way? I doubt that the US would look even half as kindly into such behaviour.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 15 2014, @05:08AM
What makes you think the BND isn't penetrating American communications networks? It's known that they intercepted the US Secretary of State's phone calls. [www.dw.de]
What makes you think the BND doesn't actively cooperate with the NSA? They do. [spiegel.de]
What makes you think the BND didn't know about the NSA's penetration of German networks? What makes you think they didn't help? Outrage is a public emotion; spies aren't very public, but they are efficient, and cooperation builds efficiency.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 15 2014, @05:11AM
Now I think Angela Merkel must be thinking with allies like that, who needs enemies. I wonder how the US would react if it came out that the Bundesnachrichtendienst's Technische Aufklärung was caught hacking into AT&T, Level 3, Qwest, and Sprint in the same way?
They should. Especially they should listen to secret congress subcommittees and similar. At least when it comes to politics, and world politics, there should be nothing hidden from anyone. The stakes are too high.
On the other hand, listening to everyone is plainly a stupid waste of resources.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Monday September 15 2014, @03:52AM
"Supposed" by who? As a person "tasked to be surveilled" by NSA, one may say: "I don't care what you are supposed to do or not, I know I have my rights and what you are doing is illegal. I suppose you should fuck off!".
See? two suppositions that aren't in any kind of agreement.
What would you suppose (and I'm picking a random example here from this list [wikipedia.org]) if you would discover the Jordanian GID [gid.gov.jo] has you under surveillance?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by unauthorized on Monday September 15 2014, @04:53AM
In what world is that a valid justification? How would you feel if a bunch of German dudes with guns occupied California to "defend against the Russians"?
Your purpose is not an excuse to achieve it by any means available.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Monday September 15 2014, @05:02AM
In what world is that a valid justification?
A charitable reading would say it was snark, or at the very least sarcasm, and thus not meant as a serious justification. "Better our governmental No Such Agency is spying on our allies than on us!" Kind of like that. Maybe. I hope so.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 15 2014, @06:51AM
> A charitable reading would say it was snark, or at the very least sarcasm, and thus not meant as a serious justification.
You don't know Buzz. The guy is the most hardcore authoritarian on this site. LIke whackadoodle, human-diginity-has-no-value kind of crazy. He was very serious.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Monday September 15 2014, @07:05AM
You don't know Buzz.
Maybe not. I have read many postings by the Mighty Buzzard, but I must admit I do not know this Solyentil. On the other hand, I know very well this poster denominated as "Anonymous Coward", especially since sometimes it is actually me! And what I know about AC's is that they cannot be trusted, especially if they are me. So I will still be charitable, and wait for the Mighty Buzz to hoist him/herself by his/her own petard.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday September 15 2014, @10:59AM
No, He was dead on there. That was simply a lot of pissed off leaking out.
That said, I really don't care that they're spying outside our borders. It's their job. Exactly the same as it's your nations' spy agencies' jobs to spy on us. Everyone spies on everyone, allies or not.
Should we be? Not in a perfect world. Hell, not even in a civil one. Let me know when we get either one of those and I'll lead the charge to shut them down.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 15 2014, @05:42AM
Hi, is that "The Mighty Buzzard"? Yeah, it's the rest of the world calling. We're, erm, how to put this, kinda pissed off...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Rune of Doom on Monday September 15 2014, @04:06PM
Having an outspoken and aggressive NSA cheerleader on the dev team for a web forum where security, anonymity, privacy, and politics are frequently discussed? No thanks.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday September 15 2014, @05:23PM
Guess you didn't read the rest of the comments before replying. "I don't care" is not exactly cheerleading. See, I have a finite amount of give-a-shit and people in other countries (that are also spying on us) getting spied on just does not make the cut to receive any. Now if you want to hear outspoken and irate, get me started on them spying on people in the US; you'll see it in spades.
As far as my code goes, it's all up on github [github.com] if you decide you want to triple-check. It's already been double-checked by paulej72 and NCommander.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Monday September 15 2014, @11:47PM
While I strongly disagree with your position regarding spying, next time you want to tell someone how much you really care, you might want to consider replying with this link [theamountoffucksigive.com].
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday September 16 2014, @12:18AM
It's a damned shame I already posted here. That deserves some + Informative.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Monday September 15 2014, @05:12AM
Embedded in the Intercept's take on news [firstlook.org](spoken in German with English subtitles).
The video-clip is produced by the Intercept & Der Spiegel (before the piece of news broke out, one assumes) - with Laura Poitras [wikipedia.org] as producer.
(a delicious reaction of Stellar engineers when they get to read, in a NSA-sourced document, the IP/password for accessing one of their systems - I promise not to comment on the strength of that password)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 4, Informative) by c0lo on Monday September 15 2014, @06:00AM
Breaking news (I'm too lazy to submit it as a story): Wikileaks publishes [wikileaks.org] some "previously unseen copies of weaponised German surveillance malware used by intelligence agencies around the world to spy on journalists, political dissidents and others." - authored by FinFisher.
Since FinFisher operates from Germany, I think some trolling for the current TFA is possible (like: "zie germans had it coming"), but I'll let it as a homework for the astute commenter. As a "lecture note" (on tongue-in-cheek trolling) I highly recommend two comments on the Intercept site [firstlook.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford