The "NSA" Documents "Leaked" by Anonymous are Public Documents

[MineralMan]

Anonymous took great pride in announcing that they were releasing a bunch of "NSA" documents today. Many were impressed by this, and congratulated Anonymous for their brilliant hacking.

Well, the documents they released are all available on the .gov websites where Anonymous found them. Here's an example:

It's available on a Department of Defense website:

http://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/DIEA/DoD_NetOps_Strategic_Vision.pdf

A great deal of public information is available about the government's capabilities for data gathering and analysis. Anonymous simply did some Googling, and downloaded public information. Great hacking, my ass!

All of this stuff is also described and detailed on Wikipedia. It's not secret. It's not classified. It's just public information from the government about these programs.

Big Announcement: Anonymous Uses Google! Finds Government Documents! Breakthrough!

Thanks for your attention.

[MineralMan]

1. In the meantime, the blogosphere is crackling

with the "massive exploits" of the Anonymous Script Kiddies. Apparently the bloggers didn't take the obvious step of plugging the document titles into a Google search before declaring Anonymous a hero.

This is the power of Anonymous! This is the Power of Google!

[JoePhilly]

2. Its self reinforcing outrage.

Keep the discussion at the high level to fan the flames, and ignore the details that might dampen them.

[MineralMan]

3. Those who are doing that are either counting on people not

following up on what is posted, or they're ignorant enough not to have checked the facts for themselves.

Thus is the blogosphere degraded. It lives on outrage, not truth. The truth is that most of this whole thing has been discussed publicly for years. People just don't pay attention to anything past the headlines.

Anonymous is just another group that takes advantage of people's ignorance to sow discord and dissatisfaction. "Script Kiddies" playing pranks.

Anonymous is an Ass.

[JoePhilly]

8. Eyeballs, eyeballs, eyeballs.

All news is breaking news, and every story is an exclusive.

I get that most of the public doesn't follow this stuff, but you'd assume more of DU would.

This same programs existed under Bush and it used no court, and had no congressional oversight.

Now, the program requires a FISA court to approve the warrants, and congress has oversight.

I'd think DU members knew this YEARS AGO. I knew it. Didn't we all?

Where's the current surprise coming from? The last 3 GOP scandals fizzled.

But maybe some see an opportunity to once again get the unengaged middle-left frustrated, get them to hate government as much as the Tea Party does. Get them to stay home, again, for the next mid-terms.

Having said that, I doubt this latest "scandal" survives very long.

We'll have a week or two of Hair-On-Fire Underground, and then the outrage will move on, as always.

[MineralMan]

11. Some DUers already knew this stuff.

Lots of others either didn't know or forgot about it. Anyhow, IT'S BREAKING FUCKING NEWS!

[JoePhilly]

18. Its giving the media something to do for a few days.

I almost want to turn on Fox News and see how they are covering it.

Probably still covering the IRS story with live video from Benghazi.

[MineralMan]

19. True. And when this dies down, you can count

on a new thing to be outraged about will emerge. It's crucial for some to create a continual outrage about something or another.

[Whiskeytide]

4. That raises a question...

... given what we know now, is Anonymous really anonymous anymore? Shouldn't the NSA have his IP address by now?

[MineralMan]

7. Anonymous isn't an individual. It's a bunch of script kiddies

who hang out on a website and talk trash.

They use some primitive script hacking tools or, in this case, Google to dig stuff up and then "leak" it or do a DOD attack on some poorly-protected website somewhere.

Amateurs Anonymous.

[Whiskeytide]

10. Oh - I know...

... I was being facetious. We need an icon for that.

[MineralMan]

12. Try this smilie for that: :eyes:

[Hissyspit]

21. Actually, that's not what Anonymous is

but I'm not surprised you don't know what you're talking about.

[uponit7771]

5. buh, buh....the M$M said they were "leaked", when have they been really wrong /sarcasm

[ohheckyeah]

6. Big announcement: Anonymous, unlike most everyone else,

BOTHERED to find government documents and share them.

[MineralMan]

9. And Pretended to "Leak" Them.

Impressed with Anonymous? Really?

Script Kiddies.

[ohheckyeah]

13. Not impressed....just

giving credit for what they did do, which appears to be more than you or I did.

And stick your "script kiddies" insult.

[MineralMan]

14. Actually, no. I've been following this data mining

stuff for years. And there are tons of public documents about it on DOD websites. RFPs and everything, dating back a number of years. The script kiddies didn't really do anything. They Googled. They just didn't count on people having already having seen those public documents.

I did stick my "script kiddies" thing. Right in my post. Was that what you had in mind?

[ohheckyeah]

15. Sad you can't have a discussion without being insulting.

Good for you that you followed the data mining - shame you didn't care to share it before Anonymous did.

I'm not supportive of most of what Anonymous does but they did bother to find the info and share it.

Have fun with your mission.

[MineralMan]

16. There have been other discussions of such topics right here

on DU. I've been in them. Sad you weren't.

[ohheckyeah]

17. So, you shared the links to all of those documents?

Somehow I doubt it and no, I'm not on DU 24/7. I have work and a life.

[MineralMan]

20. I participated in the discussions.

Like you, I have work and a life, too. I don't have time to search for documents, except when I spot someone misusing them. Then, I'll go run them down and post the actual facts, as I did in this thread.

What I do on DU is post my opinions about things. I'm not a blogger. I'm not a news source. I'm just a DU poster.

Today, though, I'm waiting to hear back from a client on a new contract. The job is secure, but the client is looking at a content outline for his new website. When he's done with that, I'll get started on producing the content. Then, I'll work with the web designer to create the site itself. That's what I do. Sometimes I have blocks of free time. Sometimes I don't.

[ohheckyeah]

22. So, why did you feel it was necessary to snark and insult?

I don't understand that. I didn't attack you, I just mentioned that Anonymous did find the documents and brought them to attention. I didn't throw them a party or declare them the bomb.

I just don't get this place sometime.