Kaspersky Lab, the Moscow-based security software developer, has uncovered a number of spying programs hidden deep within hard drives made by companies such as Seagate, Toshiba and Western Digital, amongst others, and has pointed to the US National Security Agency (NSA) as being responsible for them. The NSA is the US government agency responsible for collecting electronic intelligence.
According to cyber researchers, these programs give the NSA unfettered access to the majority of the world’s computers and therefore the means to eavesdrop on private files whenever they want.
Pakistan is one of the countries most affected by the spyware
Kaspersky, which has exposed a number of Western cyberespionage operations in the past, said that it found personal computers in over 30 countries infected with the spying programs.
The most infections were seen in Iran, followed by Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Mali, Yemen and Syria. The targets were based over a broad spectrum of society and included government and military bodies, telecommunication companies, banks, nuclear researchers and the media.
While declining to publicly name the organization behind the spyware, Kaspersky said that it was closely linked to Stuxnet, which is the NSA cyberweapon earlier used to attack Iran’s nuclear facility. An NSA spokesperson declined to comment on the story.
This disclosure is further evidence of the massive invasion of privacy and illegal world wide surveillance conducted by the NSA
To back its claims, Kaspersky has published all the technical details of its research, which can also help other institutions detect if they have been infected as well.
This disclosure is further evidence of the massive invasion of privacy and illegal surveillance conducted by the NSA which was first brought to public by whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Possible ramifications could include greater scrutiny for Western software companies and a reduction in their global software sales.
According to Kaspersky, the spies behind the software were able to infect the hard drives after determining how to lodge the malicious code in the firmware that boots up every time a computer is switched on.
“The hardware will be able to infect the computer over and over,” said lead Kaspersky researcher Costin Raiu.
Thousands of PCs all over the world are infected but remote control was established only over “high-value” and “desirable” foreign targets
While the infected software was active in thousands of PCs all over the world, the spies were selective and only established remote control over “high-value” and “desirable” foreign targets. Western Digital, Seagate and Micron said that they had no knowledge of these spying programs, while Toshiba and Samsung declined to comment.
Costin Raiu said that the authors of the spying program could have only hacked the hard drives if they had access to the source code that directs the actions of the hardware. He said:
“There is zero chance that someone could rewrite the operating system using public information.”
According to former intelligence operatives, the NSA has multiple ways of obtaining source code from tech companies. There are a number of classified requests that they can make, or pose as a software developer, or even demand that the company share the code with them if they want to sell solutions to the US government.
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This is blame game, every company found themselves guilty with spywares blames to NSA basically these companies are partners of NSA, they have intentions to make their hardware vulnerable for spying by NSA, I don’t understand how come any body can infiltrate in hardware plants and installed the spyware secretly without knowing the manufacturers.
As far as spying is concerned, how do they know the high value target from factory production stage, they can know only if they are spying on every single computer on planet earth.
Perhaps it’s just a hoax they are controlling everything. They spent 3000 million dollars to find out the location of the atomic bombs, but failed. If it’s happening then I think our latest computer, laptop, mobile, smart phone etc are built in spaying chip. My father is in Army, when he often wants to edit his office file in my compute he says me, disconnected the internet and plug out the dongle then he writes his file.
No body can gain control of 100% but the fact is US and its allies are capable of controlling almost many things, cyber espionage is just one thing,
They also have capability to detect the nuclear bombs hundreds of satellites are being orbited around the world what is their purpose obviously each of the satellite has designated targets.
This graph shows that they have no control over Military and other sensitive organiztions in Pakistan.
Source: http : // goo. gl / CrsL2i
mera laptop bhi dekh lain..AAM he mailain gay :D
How? Your laptop has a greenhouse system that produces AAM in the winter season? :)
Nope. Unn k laptop main sirf Maujazay hotay hain.
You didn’t understand the word AAM here.
Mango yara :P
this map is just showing statistics about hard drive infection virus but US has direct access to our some of military assets forexample f16 ware planes they can know it when ever they fly
O bhai… please don’t try to impress me with pathetic and impotent (na)Pak army and it’s dead-minded workers/officers..
I don’t know what makes you proudly talk about your dad being in (na)Pak Army. You should be so embarrassed of your father and your father’s organization that you should never associate with him or his impotent organization..
biggest na pak are you and your family why you are giving your sis relation here
Only a typical Pakistani non-human or someone from the (na)Pak Army can speak in this dirty language… you better respond logically to my comment or keep your filthy mouth shut…
DEAR NSA
On behalf of all the people you are spying on i would like to say f*** you
Just unplug your system from network and Chilllx ;-)
the systems which are not connected to internet are also vulnerable reason is there is high possibility that NSA has installed Nano transmitter which can establish direct communication link with NSA satellite and transmit all the data back to NSA
Acha Payaan aisi system chuk k sit dindy aan hun skoon ay? :)
Intel Core vPro processors contain a “secret” 3G chip that allows remote disabling and backdoor access to any computer even when it is turned off.
Not just network, but electricity too. ANYTHING which is connected with a wall socket, can be hacked.
Bahi Ap ko bari info ho ap NSA waly he to nai ho :)
Intel Core vPro processors contain a “secret” 3G chip that allows remote disabling and backdoor access to any computer even when it is turned off.
Source: http://www.infowars.com/91497/
p.s: You should also be aware of the term “controlled opposition”
Advances in technology mean less privacy.
use pencil paper to share importent data
important data OR impotent data? :p
1 he baat hay -_-
important your mom OR imporat your sis ?gayidan
And later destroy the paper to remove any traces :D
mery laptop se punjabi totay hi steal kr sakty hain :)
Ssshh. Iss tarah k sawal nai poochtay.
100% BS. 3G chip???? 100000% BS.
As far as access when computer is off, where is it getting electricity from if it is off and unplugged????
And if it is off and has electricity, man have you never even looked at your BIOS screen? What do you think “wake on lan” and “wake on keyboard” and stufs like that mean? Man, I have used “wake on lan” to remotely turn on Linux Dell servers back in 2004! It’s a STANDARD FEATURE.
Advanced servers like from SUN and IBM have things called LOM, google it, you’ll learn.
So accessing a vPro processor when the system is off but has electricity? Totally NORMAL feature that servers have had and publicised for OVER A DECADE.
Come up with a real source.
I don’t want to start a flame war but Man have you ever physically opened a computer? Have you never wondered why the system time doesn’t get reset even after you remove all cables and unplug the system?
There is a CR2032 battery installed in every motherboard which prevents the system time & date and BIOS settings from getting lost. How hard can it be to configure the processor to draw enough power from that tiny small battery???
This is the ad for Intel vPro Processors. Hear it to the last:
https://archive.org/details/tweakers002713
p.s: I’m pretty sure every one knows there is a battery in MoBo
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/why-does-my-motherboard-have-a-battery/
Then let’s go to Stone Age >_<
no need to worry, i am sure they would have gathered enough data on every body that it is now pointless to abandon technology for the sake of privacy…
Lagay raho Munna bhai…
Where does your ignorance come from? Oh right… from LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
Please please please do not assume everyone you run into on the internet is ignorant like you. WHen i mention thing that you can google like “wake on lan” then at least LEARN AND ACCEPT that you nead more knowledge. I KNOW what I am saying. YOU SIMPLY HAVE NO PROOF OF ANY SECRET 3G CHIP. vPRO is not HIDDEN. vPRO is not 3G. And you are also confusing vPRO with AMT (google that if you don’t understand it).
There are no secrets here, only lack of knowledge.
.
.
itna ghussa nahi karain, becharay nay sirf aik 3g chip ki to baat ki hay.. mujhe aur naya kuch nikaalnay dayn… han, yaad aaya..aap kay computer case ka jo paint hay na, wo aik special material ka hay jis pay photons girtay hi electrons rush karna shuru ho jatay hain. Phir uski madad say aap ka computer may aik AUR CHIP HAY, jo kay 3G HI NAHI DIRECT SATTELITE say communication karti hay. Han ji! Ab shaytaan aap ko behkai ga magar aap foran share karain :p
Son, I have been changing cmos batteries since the late 1980s.
UNCLE aap apna 1980s ka chashma phenk k new banwalain, phir mera pehla comment dobara parhain, us may 1 line likhi thi:
p.s: You should also be aware of the term “controlled opposition”
source may link infowars ka dia tha, jo k AlexJones nafsiyati chalata hay, aagay may kia kahoon?
Oh God you are one more of those mentally sick conspiracy nuts who read infowars.
GOING BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL POST:
Find me the hidden 3g chip. If you cannot do that, find me how you discovered that there is a hidden 3g chip. If you cannot do that, then sit down and SHUT UP.
I have used these words that you do not understand: LOM, Wake On Lan. If you have not googled them then there is no excuse for your ignorance other the fact that YOU WANT TO BE IGNORANT.
If you PERSONALLY cannot provide proof, then what are you babbling for?
food for thought
You are faiure for not backing up your claim.
Your stupid idea of CMOS battery, man dumb dumb dumb. DO YOU EVEN KNOW ELECTRICITY? How many milliamps does your hidden infamous 3g chip use? You think you can power that with a CMOS battery?
Man, when you have been beaten, and beaten hard, learn to stop talking and learn facts.
you’re so mature that i don’t stand a chance against you…
You don’t stand a chance, period.