Category Archives: NSA

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly (L), National Security Advisor General Mike Flynn (C), and Keith Alexander wait for a meeting on cyber security in the Roosevelt Room of the White House January 31, 2017 in Washington, D.C.Photograph by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKIAFP/Getty Images

President Trump's early tenure has been marked by reports of slipshod cybersecurity practices, and dysfunction among the country's intelligence agencies. But behind the scenes, Trump has shown he is attuned to hacking threats, and prepared to defend the U.S. in cyber-space, according to the former head of the National Security Agency.

Speaking at a breakfast in San Francisco on Tuesday morning, retired General Keith Alexander described a recent meeting at which the President discussed cybersecurity issues with members of his inner circle. According to Alexander, Trump's behavior shifted significantly once members of the media left the event.

The Presidents demeanor changed to what you would expect of a corporate CEO," said Alexander. "The part that struck me was he listened. He took what they said, restated it, went on to next thing and allowed everyone to talk."

The gathering reportedly included Trump, adviser Jared Kushner, Defense Secretary James Mattis, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, and others.

Alexander also said Trump's comportment in the meeting was "the president our nation needs to see," and expressed confidence Trump would be able to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat cyber threats.

The remarks come at a time of ongoing tumult among White House security staffmost notably the sudden resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on Mondayand are at odds with earlier news reports that portrayed Trump as sometimes cavalier about what he famously called "the cyber" in a presidential debate last fall.

On the question of Flynn's resignation, Alexander said he was not aware of what occurred behind the scenes, only stating he was sure the White House had good reasons to back the departure.

Alexander's assessment of Trump and cybersecurity is significant in part because as the former head of the country's top spy agency, he presided over a controversial set of intelligence gathering techniques that were exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.

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In addressing the breakfast, hosted by the State of Maryland during the RSA security conference, Alexander also spoke about the challenge of balancing privacy and security, and the wisdom of "hacking back" against other countries.

The pervasive hacking conducted by countries like North Korea and China is a source of ongoing frustration for companies, and has led some to suggest the private sector should retaliate with cyber-attacks of their own.

Alexander, however, believes such retaliation is possible but ill-advised. Using Sony ( sne ) as an example, he explained could easily avenge North Korea's devastating attack of 2014 by "hacking back," perhaps with the discreet aid of U.S. defense contractors.

"Youd kick North Korea's buttwipe out their seven computers and we would be done with it," he said about a hypothetical Sony counter-strike. But heres the problem. North Korea assumes its a government attack and they escalate. They throw artillery into Seoul and we've started a land war on the Korean peninsula, even if it started with a company trying to protect themselves.

Instead of companies taking cyber retaliation into their own hands, Alexander instead argues it's the government's job to address these issues as part of its larger mandate to defend the United States. He said this should include assistance to build "cyber domes" across key industrial sectors, and "network speed" threat coordination between government and the private sector.

Cyber has become an element of national power," he said, alongside traditional diplomatic, military, and economic initiatives.

One of the most difficult cybersecurity tasks for the Trump administration will be how to address a new generation of device and communication tools that are all but impossible to spy on. Fueled in part by Edward Snowden's revelations, Apple ( aapl ) and other companies began introducing encryption features that can't be broken by law enforcement or even accessed by the companies themselves.

Last spring, encryption was at the heart of a hugely publicized court fight between Apple and the FBI, which sought access to a locked iPhone owned by a terrorist responsible for the San Bernardino massacre. (The stand-off ended abruptly after the FBI succeeded in unlocking the iPhone on its own account, but the issue is likely to return again soon in light of newer versions of the iPhone with even stronger security measures).

According to Alexander, the trouble with ubiquitous encryption is that terrorists can plan in perfect secrecy. Alexander cited a 2009 plot to blow up the New York City subway that was foiled after intelligence agencies intercepted an emailsomething that would not have been possible if the plotters had used today's encryption tools, he noted.

Any solution that gives spy services a window into encrypted communication is problematic, however, because it can involve weakening the overall security of a device or messaging service. Such an outcomeespecially in the form of a "back door" that lets law enforcement get around encryptionis fiercely opposed by the tech community, which points out any such back door will also be exploited by criminals or repressive governments.

Alexander acknowledged this tension, but did not offer a specific solution.

"Im not for back doors but I dont buy the fact we cant [have both privacy and security]," Alexander said. "We have to drive two groups together and force them to work on this. I dont think we should accept fact people die because were intractable."

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Donald Trump on Top of Cyber Threats, Former NSA Head ... - Fortune - Fortune

Embattled National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned from his post Monday night, a few short weeksafter the Justice Department informed the White House that it believed he could be subjected to blackmail.

The Washington Post reports that Sally Yates, then-acting attorney general, informed the White House of the possible breach late last month. Yates was later fired because of her refusal to support Trumps travel ban.

Yates and others were concerned that Flynn had been in contact with a Russian diplomat through texts and calls and discussed sanctions against the country because of its interference with the 2016 election through hacking.

The thing that seemed to have done Flynn in, though, was that he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other senior officials about these communications with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the United States.

The Vice President then embarrassingly repeated the misinformation in television appearances.

The Post reports that in a Feb. 8 interview with the outlet, Flynn categorically denied discussing sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, repeating public assertions made in January by top Trump officials. One day after the interview, Flynn revised his account, telling The Post through a spokesman that he couldnt be certain that the topic never came up.

Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology, Flynn said in his resignation letter.

Trump, who is almost loyal to a fault to his choices for cabinet positions, reportedly said that Flynn had to go because he lied to him and Pence (and not because our national security was at risk for playing footsie with the Russians).

Flynn, it should be noted, was fired by President Obama. Fox News reports that his military career ended when Obama dismissed him as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. Flynn has said he was pushed out for holding tougher views than Obama about Islamic extremism (this was a man who once said, fear of Muslims is rational). But Fox reports that a former senior U.S. official said the firing was for insubordination, after Flynn failed to follow guidance from superiors.

I think misleading the vice president was the key, said Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway on the Today show on Tuesday morning.

SOURCE: Washington Post, Fox News

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NSA Adviser Michael Flynn Reportedly Fired By Obama, Now Out Under Trump - News One

Trump speaks by phone with Putin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

In an explosive report by the New York Times, it was revealed that that members of Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign were repeatedly in contact with Russian intelligence officials in the year preceding the election.

According to U.S. intelligence sources, communications between Trump operatives and the Russians were discovered when they looking into the hacking on the Democratic National Committee. The intelligence agencies sought to find out whether the Trump campaign working with the Russians in regard to the hacking.

Intelligence officials said the intercepted communications not only included Trump campaign officials, but also other associates of the now newly-elected president. According to the the report, the Russians contacted included members of the Russian government outside of the intelligence services.

The bombshell report comes as the Trump administration is still reeling over the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over contacts with the Russians which he then lied about.

You can read the whole report here.

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Bombshell report reveals NSA intercepted communications between Trump campaign and Russian agents - Raw Story

A former National Security Agency contractor accused of stealing a massive cache of classified documents is scheduled to formally face new charges in federal court Tuesday in Baltimore.

Harold T. Martin III was indicted last week by a federal grand jury, accused of violating the Espionage Act by carrying out what officials say is the largest theft of classified information in U.S. history.

Martin, 52, was arrested in August at his home in Anne Arundel County, Md., where law enforcement officials recovered dozens of computers, digital storage devices and thousands of hard-copy documents that filled six bankers boxes. Prosecutors say Martin hid classified and top-secret information in the trunk of his car, his home office and an unlocked outdoor shed.

Martin is specifically charged in the indictment with taking and retaining a huge amount of classified material. He is not accused of trying to disseminate or publish the information.

Hes not Edward Snowden, Martins attorney James Wyda said during a detention hearing, referring to the former intelligence contractor who gave classified material on U.S. surveillance programs to the media.

Hes not someone who, due to political ideas or philosophical ideas or moral principals, thinks he knows better than everybody else and, hence, is compelled to release government secrets, Wyda said.

Martins attorneys have previously said he took documents home not to harm the United States but to get better at his job. Martin has a compulsive hoarding habit, his attorneys said, and was taking medication for attention-deficit disorder that was a trigger for hoarding.

Martin, who has been held in a detention facility since his arrest, first received security clearance on active duty in the Navy. He went on to work for seven private companies at various agencies within the intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Cyber Command and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

He was a trusted insider, prosecutors said, working at the NSA from 2012 to 2015, where he was an employee of the intelligence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Martin was for some time in the NSAs elite hacker unit, Tailored Access Operations, which makes and deploys software used to penetrate foreign targets computer networks for foreign espionage purposes.

At the time of his arrest, Martin was enrolled in a doctorate program in information security management and doing research for his dissertation. He has an extensive background in computer security, including in the areas of encryption and secure communications.

Many of the documents Martin is accused of stealing were marked top-secret and contained highly classified information, including the names of intelligence officers who operate undercover outside the United States, according to the 12-page indictment. Among other secret documents, authorities found an NSA anti-terrorism document related to extremely sensitive U.S. planning and operations regarding global terrorists, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors described the theft in court filings as breathtaking in its longevity and scale.

Harold Martin flagrantly abused the trust placed in him by the government by stealing documents containing highly classified information, Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in a statement after the indictment was returned last week.

The charges against Martin carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years for each of 20 criminal counts, according to prosecutors.

Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report.

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Ex-NSA contractor to face spying charges in federal court - Washington Post

Retired Gen. Keith Alexander, former director of the National Security Agency (NSA) said he was left "really impressed" with President Donald Trump after the recent closed-door White House meeting on cybersecurity.

"What I saw was a president who was now very focused and asked each person questions, listened to them, weighed what they said and how they said it... took in advice, commented back," Alexander said at the RSA Conference in San Francisco. "That's the president our nation needs -- somebody who is looking how to solve cybersecurity issues... He understood they're important, that we've got to fix government, got to get government and industry to work together."

Alexander was at the helm of the NSA when former government contractor Edward Snowden leaked information about the NSA's sweeping surveillance programs. He stepped down from the post in 2014 and now serves as CEO of the company he founded, IronNet Cybersecurity.

The White House cybersecurity meeting took place on January 31, the same day Trump was expected to sign a cybersecurity executive order. The EO signing, however, was unexpectedly canceled without explanation. Several current and former government officials with a range of viewpoints on cybersecurity were present at the meeting, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Sen. Dan Coats, Trump's now-embattled national security adviser Gen. Mike Flynn and counterterrorism and homeland security adviser Tom Bossert.

Alexander told ZDNet that different points of view were expressed during the meeting, but it was "not confrontational at all."

In his remarks on stage, Alexander outlined some of the potential changes he'd like to see in federal cybersecurity policies. All agencies regardless of size should get sufficient resources to protect their digital assets, he said, pointing to the vulnerability of agencies like the Office of Management and Budget.

A review of all federal agencies, he said, suggests "we left them on their own to defend themselves as if they were individual people out there .. but they're not."

"Reading the Constitution, it says 'for the common defense,'" he continued. "It doesn't say for the defense of only those that are really big and critical -- for the rest of you, good luck."

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Former NSA chief: Trump is "the president our nation needs" on cybersecurity - ZDNet

This was the scene at Mar-a-Lago as news came in that North Korea had conducted a missile test. The public is all around. Classified documents are lying on the table. People are on the phone where anyone can overhear them. There is no operational security at all. This picture was taken by some random guest from a few feet away. Trump himself just looks bored by the whole thing. Facebook

John Schindler got a lot of attention over the weekend for his Observer article, "The Spy Revolt Against Trump Begins." Here's the bit that raised the most eyebrows:

A new report by CNN indicates that important parts of the infamous spy dossier that professed to shed light on President Trumps shady Moscow ties have been corroborated by communications intercepts....SIGINT confirms that some of the non-salacious parts of what Steele reported, in particular how senior Russian officials conspired to assist Trump in last years election, are substantially based in fact.

....Our spies have had enough of these shady Russian connectionsand they are starting to push back....In light of this, and out of worries about the White Houses ability to keep secrets, some of our spy agencies have begun withholding intelligence from the Oval Office. Why risk your most sensitive information if the president may ignore it anyway? A senior National Security Agency official explained that NSA was systematically holding back some of the good stuff from the White House, in an unprecedented move.

....Whats going on was explained lucidly by a senior Pentagon intelligence official, who stated that since January 20, weve assumed that the Kremlin has ears inside the SITROOM, meaning the White House Situation Room, the 5,500 square-foot conference room in the West Wing where the president and his top staffers get intelligence briefings. Theres not much the Russians dont know at this point, the official added in wry frustration.

"Inside" reporting about the intelligence community is notoriously unreliable, so take this with a grain of salt. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not. But just the fact that stuff like this is getting a respectful public hearing is damning all by itself. For any other recent president, a report like this would be dismissed as nonsense without a second thought. But for Trump, it seems plausible enough to take seriously. Stay tuned.

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NSA May Be Withholding Intel from President Trump - Mother Jones

Beverly Ann Beall, a retired National Security Agency briefer and world traveler, died of cancer Jan. 14 at her Stuart, Fla., home. She was 78 and lived in Stevenson.

Born in Baltimore, she was the daughter of Mabel Councilman, a homemaker, and her husband, Avery Gordy.

She was a graduate of Southern High School and attended college courses through the federal government at the NSA.

She joined the NSA out of high school and worked there until her retirement. She then became a travel agent and worked in several agencies in the Baltimore area.

Mrs. Beall, who was known as Bebe to her family, was a member of Green Spring Valley Hunt Club, where she enjoyed golf and games of bridge. She traveled the world on cruises and hiked in jungles of Cambodia and Vietnam. She belonged to the Town and Country Garden Club and had an interest in orchids.

She took trips to Maryland and Delaware beaches, and enjoyed fishing and searching for sea glass. She also did needlepoint and played pinochle with family members, and enjoyed walking along the boardwalks.

"She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside," said her niece, Carol Hearrell of Farmington Hills, Mich.

Mrs. Beall survived two husbands. Wade Allen Poole died in the early 1970s. Her second husband, Richard Olin Beall, died in 2013 after they had been married for 30 years. Mr. Beall was the son of Sen. J. Glenn Beall Sr.

Mrs. Beall had requested that no funeral be held.

In addition to her niece, she is survived by a daughter, Laura Poole Mathiesen of Annapolis; two stepdaughters, Margot Beall King of San Francisco and Charlotte Ashley Beall of Seattle; a companion, Allen Durling of Annapolis; four grandchildren; and other nieces and nephews.

Jacques Kelly

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Beverly Ann Beall, NSA worker and travel agent, dies - Baltimore Sun

An employee uses a Microsoft Corp. Surface tablet computer at the company's Office and Experience Center during a media event for the opening of the workspace in Hong Kong, China, on Friday, March 4, 2016. Bill H.C. KwokBloomberg via Getty Images

National Security Agency workers can now safely use Microsoft Surface tablets devices for data mining, intelligence gathering, or more humdrum work like checking email.

Microsofts ( msft ) Surface tablets and the tech giant's Windows 10 operating system are now officially part of the NSAs list of approved technologies that its employees can use when dealing with classified information.

It should be noted that as of now, the only Windows 10 devices that the NSA deems safe to use for its workers are the Surface tablets. The NSA has not yet approved other any other Windows 10-powered personal computers built by third-party vendors like HP Inc. ( hpq ) or Dell Technologies to its list of sanctioned devices .

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The NSA, through its Commercial Solutions for Classified Program , routinely evaluates various corporate technologies to see if they meet the agencys tough guidelines for cyber security. Companies that want to be added to the NSAs list of approved technologies must show that they built their products to comply with various government cyber security standards and sign an agreement requiring them to fix vulnerabilities in a timely fashion, according to the NSA.

The CSfC program listing demonstrates Windows 10, as well as Surface devices (the only Windows 10 devices currently on the list), when used in a layered solution, can meet the highest security requirements for use in classified environments, wrote Rob Lefferts, a Microsoft director of program management for Windows Enterprise and Security, in a corporate blog .

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Besides Windows 10 or Surface tablets, several other Microsoft products are part of the NSAs approved list of technologies, including its Server 2016 software, the BitLocker encryption service, and older versions of Windows.

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NSA Gives Thumbs Up to Microsoft Surface Tablets - Fortune

A websitethat until very recently waspublished by Donald Trump's son-in-law has claimed thatUS spies are withholding their most sensitive intelligence from the White House.

For the past three weeks, according to a former National Security Agency (NSA) analyst and counter-intelligence officer, some the America's spy agencieshave begun withholdingintelligence from the Oval Officeamid fears"the Kremlin has ears inside" the White House situation room.

The claims follow reports thatNational Security Adviser Michael Flynn discussed lifting sanctions against Moscow with a Russian diplomat before Mr Trump took office.

An NSA official told the New York Observer it was holding back some of the "good stuff" from the White House, while onePentagon worker said: "There's not much the Russians don't know at this point. Since January 20, weve assumed that the Kremlin has ears inside the [situation room]."

The FBI is still investigating Gen Flynn's conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Nine sources told theWashington Postthe pair had discussed sanctions imposed on Russia by outgoing President Barack Obama, despite Gen Flynn twice saying "no" in response to interview questionswhen asked if the sanctions, over Russias interference in the US election, were brought up.

In the past Mr Trump has been criticised for a perceived lack of respect for the intelligence community, while as President-elect he called the storm over Russian hacking of the election a "political witch-hunt".

The New York Observer's website is an amalgamation of several media brands bought by Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Mr Kushnerwas the owner of the news website until last month when he was named a senior White House adviser.

He is married to Mr Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka.

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NSA so concerned over Donald Trump's ties to Russia they've 'withheld information from presidential briefings' - The Independent

WASHINGTON There is a new sheriff in charge of the United States of America who is more than willing to listen to law enforcement leaders about the issues they face in the communities that span far and wide across the country.

On Tuesday, one of those prominent voices at the nations capital was a man who has dedicated the last 30 years to protecting and serving the residents of North Carolinas North Star.

The invitation was part of a week-longtrip to the nations capital to attend the association's winter conference, where Page also met with fellow members of the NSA Immigration and Border Security Commission for a convened meeting.

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page was one of nearly a dozen sheriffs from the executive committee of the National Sheriffs Association on Feb. 7 that joined President Donald Trump in the White House to discuss immigration, border security and the leadership direction of the executive branch of government.

Vice President Mike Pence was also in attendance.

An NSA spokesperson told the Huffington Post on Saturday that the group who spoke with Trump wasa combination of leadership chosen by the association and certain elected officers who were requested by the White House.

The meeting was the first of its kind between the National Sheriffs Association and a sitting president. Members of the meeting were also invited into the Oval Office following the roundtable talk with the president.

Page also presented Trump with a red hat in the president's office, with white lettering that read, Sheriffs for Trump.

We appreciate you being where you are at, said Page to President Trump during the open discussion that focused on several topics, including the opioid epidemic across the nation, border security and illegal immigration.

The first responsibility of government is to protect its people as we are elected by the people and you are elected by the people, we got that. When you said there is a new sheriff in town, we relate to that. You are about the rule of law we haven't seen that in many years and we appreciate that.

Page has been a vocal leader over the last six years in regards to advocating that the U.S. Government enforces existing federal law to protect national borders specifically to help eliminate illegal drug trade.

The Sheriff also shared with the President his appreciation for John F. Kelly, who was named the fifth United States Secretary of Homeland Security on Jan. 20.

He went to the border, Page said. He looked at the assets and he asked the law enforcement down there whats going on and what can we do to help fix this situation down here. Youve got a good team and youre putting together a good team and you have the support of sheriffs from across the country and we appreciate what you are doing.

Page, who was elected as sheriff of Rockingham County in 1998, also served as the President of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association during the 2010-11 term.

The former Eden Police officer planned to stay in Washington DC until Feb. 9.

The sheriff also has scheduled meetings with Rep. Mark Walker and Sen. Richard Burr during his visit to the capital.

Contact Joe Dexter at (336) 349-4311, ext. 6139and follow @DexterJoe_RCN on Twitter.

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Sheriff Page, NSA leaders, meet with President Trump at White House - Greensboro News & Record