U.S. Agencies Said To Swap Data With Thousands Of Firms - Bloomberg

[WillyT]

U.S. Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms
By Michael Riley - Bloomberg
Jun 14, 2013 9:01 PM PT

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Thousands of technology, finance and manufacturing companies are working closely with U.S. national security agencies, providing sensitive information and in return receiving benefits that include access to classified intelligence, four people familiar with the process said.

These programs, whose participants are known as trusted partners, extend far beyond what was revealed by Edward Snowden, a computer technician who did work for the National Security Agency. The role of private companies has come under intense scrutiny since his disclosure this month that the NSA is collecting millions of U.S. residents’ telephone records and the computer communications of foreigners from Google Inc (GOOG). and other Internet companies under court order.

Many of these same Internet and telecommunications companies voluntarily provide U.S. intelligence organizations with additional data, such as equipment specifications, that don’t involve private communications of their customers, the four people said.

Makers of hardware and software, banks, Internet security providers, satellite telecommunications companies and many other companies also participate in the government programs. In some cases, the information gathered may be used not just to defend the nation but to help infiltrate computers of its adversaries.

Along with the NSA, the Central Intelligence Agency (0112917D), the Federal Bureau of Investigation and branches of the U.S. military have agreements with such companies to gather data that might seem innocuous but could be highly useful in the hands of U.S. intelligence or cyber warfare units, according to the people, who have either worked for the government or are in companies that have these accords.

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More: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-14/u-s-agencies-said-to-swap-data-with-thousands-of-firms.html

[think]

1. Snowden is a traitor!

Pay no attention to the companies behind the curtain....

[WillyT]

2. Kick !!!

[marions ghost]

3. "Trusted Partners"

"Thousands of technology, finance and manufacturing companies are working closely with U.S. national security agencies, providing sensitive information and in return receiving benefits that include access to classified intelligence, four people familiar with the process said."

[WillyT]

4. Yeah... Ain't That A Hoot ???

[DirkGently]

5. Yikes. That's a huge mess if it's true.

The public / private connection may end up being the big story here.

[marions ghost]

6. You could be right

my instincts also... yoiks

Bring it on

[bvar22]

7. "just the tip of the iceberg"

[font size=3]"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."[/font]
---rumored to be said by Benito Mussolini who knew a thing or two about Fascism.

[jsr]

8. Sounds like China