CIA Researching Automated IRC Spying

Iphtashu Fitz writes "CNet News is reporting that the CIA has been quietly investing in research programs to automatically monitor Internet chat rooms. In a two year agreement with the National Science Foundation, CIA officials were involved with the selection of recipients for research grants to develop automated chat room monitors. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received $157,673 from the CIA and NSF for their proposal of 'a system to be deployed in the background of any chat room as a silent listener for eavesdropping ... The proposed system could aid the intelligence community to discover hidden communities and communication patterns in chat rooms without human intervention.' How soon until all IM conversations are monitored by Big Brother? The abstract of the proposal is available on the NFS website."

Sample

[Anonymous Coward]

> Join: NotWithCIA [[e-mail]]
<l33th4x0r> and i h4ck3d into the NSA and compiled gentoo on it
<l33th4x0r> it was awesome
<l33th4x0r> like a beowulf cluster of beowulf clusters
<myPPburns> how long did that take?
<l33th4x0r> like 2 days
<myPPburns> no, I mean compiling Gentoo
<l33th4x0r> yah, like 2 days
<myPPburns> who is that new guy? NotWthCIA?
<l33th4x0r> dunno, never seen him before
<myPPburns> cool nick tho
<myPPburns> I'm gonna go hack WoW l8r. make myself king orc!!!
<l33th4x0r> yah, im gonna go post a letter from osama on drudge
<l33th4x0r> watch the media fr33k out
> Quit: NotWthCIA (OSAMA DETECTED! ALERT! ALERT!)

That's easy to beat...

[BobPaul]

Just avoid the rooms with the *CIA_Chanserv* bot running

Solution

[PaintyThePirate]

/mode +b #haxxor *!*@*.cia.gov

I am one step ahead

[ad0gg]

My irc script supports ROT13 encryption.

Available on the NFS website

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder if slashdot will be able to unmount them?

Ahhh, IRC

[k4_pacific]

Where men are men,
Women are men,
13 year old girls are FBI agents,
and that guy who never says anything is a CIA bot.

don't worry

[digid]

* digid slaps CIA-bot around a bit with a large trout

How Soon...

[Tackhead]

From the article:
> How soon until all IM conversations are monitored by Big Brother?

<musicfan> Hey, anyone got The Smiths - How Soon Is Now.mp *THUMPTHUMPTHUMP* "FEDERAL COPYRIGHT CZAR SQUAD! PUT DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND STEP AWAY FROM THE IPOD!"
*** Disconnected

Security reasons HA!

[darkmayo]

They are just trying to find the best quotes and submit them to bash.org

Re:Now, to analyse those logs effectively...

[rainman_bc]

... when is the CIA gonna get Google to index all their logs privately so they can actually *do* something with it?

I know I know!!! Google Desktop Search!!!

Re:Ahhh, IRC

[endx7]

and that guy who never says anything is a CIA bot.

Crap, me and too many others must be CIA bots.

I mean, really, what else is IRC for if not idling?

What are they looking for?

[Anonymous Coward]

From the article:

"CNet News is reporting that the CIA has been quietly investing in research programs to automatically monitor Internet chat rooms. In a two year agreement with the National Science Foundation, CIA officials were involved with the selection of recipients for research grants to develop automated chat room monitors. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute received $157,673 from the CIA and NSF for their proposal of 'a system to be deployed in the background of any chat room as a silent listener for eavesdropping ... The proposed system could aid the intelligence community to discover hidden communities and communication patterns in chat rooms without human intervention.' How soon until all IM conversations are monitored by Big Brother? The abstract of the proposal is available on the NFS website."

I'm one step ahead of you!

[Anonymous Coward]

Mine supports ROT26. In fact, I'm using it now.

Re:Not the government's fault

[fair_n_hite_451]

*CIA_Silent_Running_botServ Activated ("comrades" key word - class naughty detected)
///Initiate background_check_with_extreme_prejudice @ user EM_Adams///
///Begin create_fake_logs in (#overthrow, #terrorcentral, #McVeyDaMan!)///
///AutoGenerate GitMo_Reservation///

Re:Security reasons HA!

[bersl2]

#88575 +(3525)- [X]

<Stormrider> I should bomb something
<Stormrider> ...and it's off the cuff remarks like that that are the reason I don't log chats
<Stormrider> Just in case the FBI ever needs anything on me
<Elzie_Ann> I'm sure they can just get it from someone who DOES log chats.
*** FBI has joined #gamecubecafe
<FBI> We saw it anyway.
*** FBI has quit IRC (Quit: )

Wrong agency, but still funny.

Re:Juristiction?

[bigberk]

Does anyone know if theyre allowed to "spy" on foreign citizen?

Are you trying to be funny? They're a spy agency. Their goal is to gather intelligence. You think the Chinese, Russians, Iranians, and Koreans love being spied on by the USA? The CIA can damn well spy on anyone they want to, at any time. And of course, the CIA isn't the only international organization spying on you, silly.

Re:It wont really be any good...

[stratjakt]

Yeah, I know, lots of criminals are idiots.

You hear about guys who hold up banks, and write the ransom note on the back of their own cheque or deposit slip.

I read of a bank robber who demanded money, and the teller said "I'll need to see some ID", and he handed over the drivers license.

I read about a down-on-his-luck guy selling pot, couldn't find a buyer no matter what he did. Finally, he makes it to the beach, and the whole place is full of long-haired hippy/biker looking dudes! He was in heaven, he ran down to the first guy and showed him his stash, and told him he could get as much as they need. Turns out it was a police employee picnic - and everyone there was an undercover NARC.

Hell, I saw a guy outside a Phish concert with a sign saying "Weed, $40 for a half quarter".

It's not like the average criminal mind is all that sophisticated.

Re:Isn't that what Echelon does?

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh no! Hey, who let this thing get out!?! You're not supposed to know we aren't already catching IRC chatter! Oh no!

Ehem. I mean, there is no Echelon. Of course Echelon already intercepts IRC chatter. We^H^H They already monitor everything, but they aren't interested in what you're saying. You all are safe. Be very afraid, the terrorists are everywhere. Report all suspicious activity. Go shopping on Friday.

Dammit, now I'm going to have to kill the guy who let it get out that we're not logging IRC yet. Asshole.

-agent

Welcome CIA Overlords

[ztirffritz]

I personally welcome our CIA...you know, this is getting to be really old and boring. I say "F@CK the CIA Overlords" We're all moving to Canada!

Re:Umm...

[mr_burns]

the last tine I checked, the patriot act made warrants easier to get than cooties on a playground. I think they come out of judges whenever they sneeze.

Re:Umm...

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure, you need a warrant if you want to use the info in a court. If not. . .

Re:It wont really be any good...

[wik]

When I was an IRCOp, .NO meant NO.

Re:It wont really be any good...

[keytoe]

with a sign saying "Weed, $40 for a half quarter"

And on the back of that sign it said (scribbled out): "Weed, $40 for an ayth"

Ahh.. the FBI

[DaNasty]

Reminds me of that bash.org quote...

<Stormrider> I should bomb something

<Stormrider> ...and it's off the cuff remarks like that that are the reason I don't log chats
<Stormrider> Just in case the FBI ever needs anything on me
<Elzie_Ann> I'm sure they can just get it from someone who DOES log chats.
*** FBI has joined #gamecubecafe
<FBI> We saw it anyway.
*** FBI has quit IRC (Quit: )

Re:Ahhh, IRC

[sik0fewl]

and that guy who never says anything is a CIA bot.

Hmm.. I should stop idling in so many channels. Maybe if I put some sort of message on a timer that does "/me is not a CIA bot". Yeah.. I think that'll do just fine.

Re:It wont really be any good...

[sharkey]

control exactly who has axcess to it

The President posts on /.?