Can NSA / CIA access my Windows 7/8 computers?

It's horrible to hear :

1. From Edward Snowden (from various newspaper) that US Government has been penetrating civilian computers in the world beyond military means;

2. Microsoft has been providing vulnerable security loopholes to US Government before announcing them to the public, giving US Government adequate time to penetrate all Windows computers before the batches are released to the public;

3. from other sources that internet security and privacy protection software (e.g. Norton, AVG, etc.) are not useful in giving protection of such kinds.

No matter what I heard are 100% facts or not, now what I want to know is:

How can I say "No" to the US Government for their illegal hacking activities and to protect my privacy on my endpoint nodes and Windows 7 / Windows 8 based computers?

 

I doubt seriously the NSA/CIA would be hacking in to your home PC. I would be more concerned about malicious jerks who have nothing better than to vandalize people's PCs. Your best bet is a good firewall with strict permissions, and strong antivirus/antimalware programs.

Mitch

 

You don't need to have doubt. Just read news. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/17/edward-snowden-nsa-files-whistleblower

Why do I bother? Why everyone should bother? Are you willing to be watched by the Big Brother? Good answers are there in George Orwell's <<1984>>. It's $0.99 downloadable from Amazon.com.

Btw, and it's important to know, that many computer services (especially those "cloud" services) are provided by US companies, data resided in the US and governed by the Laws of USA, not by your own country's Laws.

 

He's young, 29. His last job was a low level subcontracting body- shop kind of job at 12,000. I'm surprise that people judge others by means words like that. He got up to $20,000 before that as a full-timer. I know a few ex-CIOs now getting less $ than that.

Sometimes I like people with simple mind, other times, I can't resist to use the word 'naive'.

Read carefully the interview and undeniable facts can be found. I talk about 'facts', not so-called 'truth' from people's believes or blind faiths.

 

Final thoughts from me:

The original proposed title of Orwell's 1984 was "the last man in Europe" or "1948 ". But it wasn't published until 1949. It was just a fictional book......as was Dracula......

I don't put anything in the "Cloud" I wouldn't want others to see. I am not doing anything on my PC that would embarrass me or get me into trouble.

Mitch

 

Widespread police surveillance is the very definition of a police state.

 

My only thought on this is I don't have anything that they would want to look at. While they are looking at me, it is giving somebody else a break.

 

Privacy is NOT about hiding a wrong, it's a basic human requirement.

 

Hi Mitch,

It's not about what you can control over not using cloud or not putting things on your own computer. What about your friends who put your photos to the Facebook and shared by "Friends only ", but eventually every FBI, CIA and NSA and their international friends are sharing your photos without you and your friend's knowledge. What about later they mistook / suspect you an unwelcome person because of such photos or things that turn you down to get on a flight or get into a country because of such a mistake but not knowing to you. What about one day your son (assuming) applying for a government job but was turned down because of such mistake that you don't know and have no chance to clarify?


"Microsoft added Outlook.com backdoor for Feds" - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/0...ft_added_outlookencryption_backdoor_for_feds/

That's why I won't use Skype, SkyDrive, Office 365 etc and etc.

Swedish professor nominates Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize (too late for Edward Snowden this year and too soon for Obama that year...)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ce-Prize-Swedish-Professor.html#ixzz2ZA7yAYEC
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

Just had to respond....

There is no expectation of privacy in public. And if you put stuff out on the Internet - then is public.

 

Disagree.

You can set private in Facebook, YouTube ant etc. besides, the agreement should then specify "you agree that all your stuff will be peeked and poked by NSA, CIA and FBI of US Government, even though you may not be a US citizen." However, it's not what Facebook, YouTube, Microsoft told the public.

So, I can't change it, but I disagree.

 

Mitchell – Might be a difference in interpretation of what ‘putting on the internet’ actually means.
And that’s the problem.

Think most people would say ‘putting on the internet ‘means posting on a site.
And very few would think that’s private.

Seem like gov’t might interpret ‘putting on the internet’ as anything that ‘uses the internet’.
If you think about that interpretation – in today’s world– it’s just about everything.
The true glass house.

That interpretation seems to get some people upset.

 

Today all major IT companies look for cloud services to make money.

Apple - iCloud
Microsoft - Office 365, SkyDrive, Skype
Google - Google Drive and everything else

It's not about what you put on the Internet, it's all about if you are using Internet.

The initial metaphor of Internet is Information Superhighway. Okay, if you are driving on a highway, do you want to be naked in front of the government agencies' staff, just like passing the airport? It's all about human rights.

 

Cardinal Richelieu understood the value of surveillance when he famously said, "If one would give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest man, I would find something in them to have him hanged. "

 

Given all the above information, what can we do? Even if our do nothing Congress "made a new rule" would that change anything? How would you suggest we protect our information/selves? I could go completely off the Internet, I lived for a long time without it; but if I did, that would make me more of a target because "they" would wonder what I have to hide........