The Shadow Factory
The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America
by James Bamford · first published 2008
47% recommend53% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A detailed, well-sourced look at the NSA's domestic surveillance operations and infrastructure, including the Utah data center. Recommended to readers interested in NSA history and how the surveillance state works.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
James Bamford has been the preeminent expert on the National Security Agency since his reporting revealed the agency's existence in the 1980s. Now Bamford describes the transformation of the NSA since 9/11, as the agency increasingly turns its high-tech ears on the American public.The Shadow Factory reconstructs how the NSA missed a chance to thwart the 9/11 hijackers and details how this mistake has led to a heightening of domestic surveillance. In disturbing detail, Bamford describes exactly how every American's data is being mined and what is being done with it. Any reader who thinks Americ
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Once again, I suggest everyone interested read James Bamford's book Shadow Factory. All these revelations regarding call metadata, PRISM collection (albeit under a different codename at the time), modern fiber taps, and even more are covered. You'll learn about how they shave fiber…
on “The NSA slide you haven’t seen” ↗Echelon is largely old news. The best modern, public look at the current series (yes, series, and disparate at that) of systems is James Bamford's latest book, "Shadow Factory". It is full of fairly technical details, names, and places. http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Factory-NSA-Eavesdropping-Ameri...
on “Echelon (signals intelligence)” ↗…their new data center in Utah will be greatly enlarging their capabilities. I'd suggest you read James Bamford's three books on the NSA for further insight. (The Puzzle Palace, Body of Secrets, and The Shadow Factory.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bamford#Books
on “Show HN: Hide Secret Messages In Facebook Photos With My Chrome Extension” ↗There's also a nice book about it (The Shadow Factory by James Bamford): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9568943...
on “AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA” ↗cd34 answered it adequately. If you want a fairly detailed explanation of how they actually monitor your telecommunications, check out James Bamford's The Shadow Factory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow_Factory
on “Why Is The Defense Department Snooping On My Phone?” ↗…ISP's that think they are protected, they also get routed to the proper sniff boxes, or get covert ones installed. That big data warehouse in Utah should be nicknamed the funnel. http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Factory-NSA-Eavesdropping-Ameri... This book details some of the backroom agreements big telecoms have had for decades that "relieve" them of legal responsibility.
on “Internet troll “weev” sentenced to 41 months for AT&T/iPad hack” ↗…already. From what I've already seen, I'd have no problem recommending it to other HN readers who are interested in the history behind the NSA. I'm guessing his other books (Body of Secrets and The Shadow Factory) are also going to be great reads.
on “The history of NSA spying, from telegrams to email” ↗THESE: 1. "The Shadow Factory" by James Bamford James Bamford takes you behind the scenes of the NSA's domestic surveillance operations, providing an unparalleled look into their methods and motivations. With access to exclusive…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2023” ↗…armed is completely factually incorrect, both in relevance to the Soviet war and the current one. If you want to learn more about the US involvement as the number one arms dealer in the word, the revised Shadow Factory book is out and worth the long read.
on “The Internet Is Being Protected By Two Guys Named Steve” ↗…those documents are probably no longer relevant. Of course they may still be relevant as evidence if someone wants to come after you. In closing, a lot of the Wired article is drawn from the book The Shadow Factory, which ends with the start of the construction of the Utah facility. It's interesting reading that also goes into the political side of it.
on “The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)” ↗Is this a thing?... I never thought about it before... but after reading the "The Shadow Factory" I totally understand they could do that... It's halvings are correlated to right before a presidential elections which seems suspicious. But why? Is it a giant honeypot that got out of hand?
In The Shadow Factory (written after the Klein leaks but before Snowden), Bamford notes that a lot of surveillance equipment comes from Israel. I don't know much about Israeli culture but it may be significantly different…
on “Google Security Team Member on NSA: "Fuck These Guys"” ↗It has been argued that PRISM was more about corporate espionage under the ruberic of counter-terrorism than anything else. In the book The Shadow Factory, James Bamford points out the ridiculously low prices that were available for overseas traffic to be routed into the US and then back to a neighboring country, sometimes even a different region of the…
on “PRISM – NSA surveillance program did not prevent a single terrorist attack” ↗…the FISA courts location vs. just piling on with another "government bad" post on HN a little research would tell you that it is on the top floor of the Justice Department building. Source: my copy of Shadow Factory by James Bamford. Page 113. Published 2008.
on “Want to File a Motion in the FISA Court? First You Have to Find Them” ↗According to unnamed sources in media reports, the USS Jimmy Carter's cable tapping abilities aren't functional. See e.g. The Shadow Factory by James Bamford.
on “Glimmerglass Intercepts Undersea Cable Traffic for Spy Agencies?” ↗