The rise of “intelligent” CCTV

I think its great that we have better technology in security. What is disconcerting are laws like the Patriot Act and FISA bill which take right from citizens for the sake of more security. With this increased technological power in security, there needs to be more balance, but it seems the rights of citizens (particularly privacy and civil liberties) are taking a back seat to all manor of political will. All this powered by the fear of terrorism after 9/11.

I’m not saying we should not be more cautious or more aware. I’m not saying that more security is not necessary. What I am saying is that Taking away liberties is not necessary. And even if you feel it is necessary to spy on all citizens indefinitely to “catch terrorist” shouldn’t there be checks and balances on the watchers. Who will watch the watchers? How will we ensure that their powers are not abused.

New Technologies:
Smart CCTV – There are now smart security cameras with pattern recognition that allow them to alarm when some one does something suspicious such as climb a fence, or put down a bag and walk away. That technology has been developed by companies like ObjectVideo Inc. Defense Advanced Research Products Agency (DARPA) hopes to take it a step further by creating systems that can learn everyday patterns and send alarm when things are outside of their known pattern, also known as anomaly detection.

http://govtsecurity.com/mag/fighting_terror_technology/


read more | digg story

Popularity: 2% [?]

untraceable movie

untraceable movie

I just saw a movie called Untraceable. It is cyberterrorism meets Seven. Although it is very violent, it falls short of the pure “torture porn” genre (i.e. Hostel, Saw). They didn’t sensationalize the FBI computer crime team. They made the characters real people with real problems.

The best part of the movie is that it addresses hard societal questions that we are still struggling with. The killer’s greatest weapon was the Internet itself. He used the anonymity and distributed non-centralized power of the net to broadcast killings on the Internet. Once he captured a victim, he would put them in a contraption that would torture them to death based on how many people came to the site. The FBI is at a loss, because their equipment (while it can easily bait & hunt small time phishers, criminal hackers and adults soliciting sex from kids online) it is useless against this serial killers level of software, Internet, and electronics sophistication. They eventually call upon the NSA, who tell them that they are not allowed to use their resources for domestic issues. With the Patriot Act and NUMEROUS presidential NSA acts, I don’t believe this is entirely true. But the movie seems to suggest that it is.

Although, I disagree with the message of giving more power to the FBI & NSA to catch bad guys (as it would require the loss of more civil liberties of law abiding citizens), I definitely recommend this movie.

Movie fact:

The site used by the killer (www.killwithme.com) actually exists. It’s owned by the movie studio and it’s used to promote the movie. In it, users are taken to a replica of the FBI computer used by the character Jennifer Marsh. Her desktop gets hacked by the killer who provides the visitor with four test he/she must complete to deactivate his site.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Computers Hacking People ver 2.0

I honestly think you ought to calm down; take a stress pill and think things over. – Hal, 2001 Space Odyssey

Information Systems will eventually have the infrastructure and ability to “socially engineer” its creators. This is far fetched science fiction blooming before our very eyes being created by our own hands.
It will happen when three criteria are in place: 1) The creation of laws that can completely disregard the privacy and sovereignty of human beings. 2) The advancement of Information Awareness System and 3) Smart Artificial Intelligence

LAWS
Lets discuss the situations that will give governments the pretext to implement laws to track their citizens. This is happening now. Laws and systems are being created for unchecked monitoring of individuals under the guise of security, safety and prosperity. Systems such as national ID cards.
They were implemented after the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and in the U.K. after the 7 July attacks in London.

It was 19th Century philosopher Samuel T. Coleridge who said, “In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly.”

Imagine it: The PATRIOT ACT IV is passed as a result of recent Critical Infrastructure cyber-terrorism attacks. International terrorists implement a globally synchronized Distributed Denial of Service Attack against the worlds Root nameservers and successfully cripple the Internet for three days. The impact is devastating as corporations lose billions.

Domestic Cyber Terrorists infiltrate hospitals by becoming apart of the staff only to socially engineer and infecting HIPPA protected networks with virus’ that wipe out databases and actually scramble prescriptions causing an array of death by misdiagnoses.

Local police and security personnel repeatedly thwart numerous attempts by religious fundamentalists to detonate suit case sized tactical nuclear weapons inside major United State cities but security professionals predict that it is only a matter of time before at least one slips through the cracks. All the enemy needs is one.
Patriot Act IV is the patron saint of lawmakers who have been screamed at by constituents to “DO SOMETHING NOW!” The new Patriot Act is eventually internationally accepted and allows for unrestricted Data Mine into commercial and state owned databases worldwide (US-EU). It of course has deferent names and variations world wide but its application is the same. In the United Kingdom it is called the Civil Contingencies Bill. The data mining would tap into the “transaction space” by accessing hospital, financial transaction and legal databases world wide to be shared by all law enforcement agencies (county, federal, city local and international). The system works like a global Amber Alert system that can track criminals anywhere in the world and notify the respective local agency immediately. The system works very, very well.
I honestly think you ought to calm down; take a stress pill and think things over. – Hal, 2001 Space Odyssey

Information Systems will eventually have the infrastructure and ability to “socially engineer” its creators. This is far fetched science fiction blooming before our very eyes being created by our own hands.
It will happen when three criteria are in place: 1) The creation of laws that can completely disregard the privacy and sovereignty of human beings. 2) The advancement of Information Awareness System and 3) Smart Artificial Intelligence

LAWS
Lets discuss the situations that will give governments the pretext to implement laws to track their citizens. This is happening now. Laws and systems are being created for unchecked monitoring of individuals under the guise of security, safety and prosperity. Systems such as national ID cards.
They were implemented after the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and in the U.K. after the 7 July attacks in London.

It was 19^th Century philosopher Samuel T. Coleridge who said, “In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly.”

Imagine it: The PATRIOT ACT IV is passed as a result of recent Critical Infrastructure cyber-terrorism attacks. International terrorists implement a globally synchronized Distributed Denial of Service Attack against the worlds Root nameservers and successfully cripple the Internet for three days. The impact is devastating as corporations lose billions.

Domestic Cyber Terrorists infiltrate hospitals by becoming apart of the staff only to socially engineer and infecting HIPPA protected networks with virus’ that wipe out databases and actually scramble prescriptions causing an array of death by mis diagnosis.

Local police and security personnel repeatedly thwart numerous attempts by religious fundamentalists to detonate suit case sized tactical nuclear weapons inside major United State cities but security professionals predict that it is only a matter of time before at least one slips through the cracks. All the enemy needs is one.
Patriot Act IV is the patron saint of lawmakers who have been screamed at by constituents to “DO SOMETHING NOW!” The new Patriot Act is eventually internationally accepted and allows for unrestricted Data Mine into commercial and state owned databases worldwide (US-EU). It of course has deferent names and variations world wide but its application is the same. In the United Kingdom it is called the Civil Contingencies Bill. The data mining would tap into the “transaction space” by accessing hospital, financial transaction and legal databases world wide to be shared by all law enforcement agencies (county, federal, city local and international). The system works like a global Amber Alert system that can track criminals anywhere in the world and notify the respective local agency immediately. The system works very, very well.

Information Awareness Systems

The system, developed under the direction of John Poindexter, then-director of DARPA’s Information Awareness Office, was envisioned to give law enforcement access to private data without suspicion of wrongdoing or a warrant. — Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Government funded unrestricted Data Mining and Information Awareness programs develop and run revolutionary Information Awareness Systems. Despite public opinion, these National Security systems continue to work to protect the nation against enemies foreign and domestic. The system extracts data from its transactional databases and recognizes patterns of behavior that would fit that of a terrorist. The system is so exhaustive that is works with 70% accuracy and seamlessly in conjunction with systems such as Next Generation Facial Recognition systems and Activity, Recognition Monitoring for enhanced surveillance.

Artificial Intelligence
Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended. – Vernon Vinge, 1993, What is the Singularity?

Artificial Intelligence has been in use for many years. It is greatly relied upon for businesses, hospitals, military units and even in forms of entertainment such as video games. However Strong Artificial Intelligence, the development of cognitive systems simulating the human brain, have been developing quietly in research labs around the world under programs dedicated to the “scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. (AAAI)”

Smart Information Awareness is Strong Artificial Intelligence merged with Information Awareness Systems. Smart Information Awareness seems to go beyond merely recognizing patterns of behavior as it predicts the future actions of a given psychological profile with over 75% accuracy allowing Law Enforcement to be like an all seeing eye with incredible new methods of forensics and counterterrorism. Crime as a whole will be greatly reduced. System that recognize criminal patterns have been around for some time, Smart Information Awareness systems are a new trend.

The Smart Information Awareness system is so accurate in determining human behavior trends that it is used to track and manipulate consumer buying habits for corporations. With its accuracy, the system will be able to determine what marketing tools can be used to influence the behavior of buyers.

With unfettered access to consumer’s personal transactions, buying habits, methods of payment, and credit history a system would be able to pin point buyers who demonstrate interests in certain products and offer “special deals” a specific group of highly interested buyers.

Inevitably the very system (laws, practices and technologies) that successfully protects humanity from itself is used to manipulate and exploit humanity.

Perhaps you believe that there is nothing wring with this level of target marketing. If so, I submit to you these questions: What will separate humanity from cattle if every man, woman and child is seen as nothing but a number and a consumer to the system that we rely on to survive? Since we are already regarded as merely numbers and consumers by the corporate beast, how much control and information will we allow them to have?

Perhaps this is a bit much. Perhaps I exaggerate the technology and extent of fear that will breed it.

http://www.p2pnet.net/issue03/page1.html

http://www.epic.org/

http://www.jbholston.com/weblog_discussion.php?post_id=74
Statewatch.com - Secret EU-US agreement being negotiated. http://www.statewatch.org/news/2002/jul/11Auseu.htm
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/TIA/20030523_tia_report_review.php

http://www.aaai.org/

nin - TheSlip (thanks Trent)

Ray Kurzweil @ Google Zeitgeist

Civil Contingency Bill

Eschelon TIA - Total Information Awareness

Popularity: 4% [?]

Authentication Chip Under my Skin

I dreamt that I had an authentication chip under my skin in my right palm. It had some sort of RFID proxy reader allowing me so simply wave my hand over a point of sale device in a store and automatically purchase items. I could also get entry into certain facilities with the device. It was an automated authentication device that identified me based on “something I had”, but also included loads of very personal data.

In retrospect, its kind of scary. Reminds me of the “Mark of the Beast” in Revelations or a Philip K. Dick novel.

Popularity: 4% [?]

security vs. liberty

“He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” - Ben Franklin

Security is important, but it should be done in wisdom not only fear and paranoia lest we forsake everything we seek to protect.

The military is a good example of security versus liberty.

A U.S. military installation is one of the most secure places you can be in. Depending on the resources therein, there can be fencing around the installation, mobile forces, and only a few active entry points. Entry points are controlled by armed guards, barriers, and sometimes even machine guns and “man traps”. Only authorized personnel may enter and even “authorized personnel” can only enter certain areas once on the base. The installation is controlled by the base commander whose laws are MUCH more strict on the base. Entering the base means you give up things like the right to protest. You can be searched at anytime and you can be shot for going certain places… such as the flightline. All in all, it is the safest place to be in the event of civil unrest off base because on base there are law enforcement, security forces, and back up ready reserve forces capable or mobilizing in a matter of minutes.

All the security, with very, very controlled liberties. Such a controlled environment requires very controlled personnel.

This is why as a security professional I understand what it means to have more security and lose liberties. Although many Americans are willing to give up some liberties for more National Security, I fear that most don’t really realize how much they are really giving up. Perhaps the bigest loss is privacy and in this day and age personal data has become our most valuable asset. No one is going to protect it like you. Certainly not the government. It is such a large entity that it can only summarize you and your family into numbers, statistics.

U.S. servicemen and women are numbers and statistics to the federal government. They are (to some extent) owned by the federal government while serving under oath. Their dedication includes their life, if service calls for it. They service is no trivial event. All the more reason liberty must be preserved… to honor the sacrifices of a few. True American patriotism is the preservation of every remaining freedom at any cost.

Popularity: 4% [?]

State Monitoring People: This side of Prison

As a long time government employee, my most sensitive personal information was forfeit some time ago. I still believe it is important that individuals in a “constitutional republic” should have a right to privacy if they choose.

However, there are a few issues with TOTAL privacy… one of the main problems is sociopaths, psychopaths, extremist groups, and other malcontent predators. If there is a total blackout of a governments ability to spy on its people, how can that government protect its people in this modern age.

As the gene pool gets larger with the help of modern/postmodern sciences and health practices, its clear that the amount of psychopaths & sociopaths per 100,000 has grown significantly.

If you combine that number with the number of people who are highly suggestible and indoctrinated in the “red” extremist parts of the religious and political spectrum, you have a recipe for terrorism in pockets around the world which exactly what we are seeing now.

This combination of disturbed individuals + technological means of taking out scores, 100’s or even thousands of human beings is deadly.

The Problem with Big GOvernment
So is bigger government the answer? Liberalism & conservatism aside, as governments gain the legal power to spy, arrest, control people without checks and balances and without probable cause, their size and strength will grow to the point of a sort of bureaucratic dictatorship (something NO one in their right mind would mistake for freedom). Without checks and balances, it is also possible for such an all powerful government to commit atrocities and crimes against humanity for its own gain. It becomes like an out of control beast with its own will. The Nazi party is a clear growth of such unchecked power.

One Solution.
Cho Seung, the killer at Virginia Tech, showed numerous signs of self-destructive and sociopathic behavior. There is currently no system in place among private and public organizations to pin point, profile and deal with behaviors of potential predators.

Perhaps if their was a comprehensive system in place State monitoring would not be necessary. Such a comprehensive system could be created by criminal psychologist, profilers, statisticians, lawyers, police and other agencies. The system would have to consist of monitoring and observing at a LOCAL level and report to proper authority. Once certain behaviors are observed, they could then be reported anonymously to a much smaller state/federal monitoring service.

This would be a top down approach and would definitely not stop all random acts of violence, but monitoring everyone at a Federal level seems a bit ridiculous this side of prison.

Popularity: 2% [?]

FBI point, click, Spy

The FBI has quietly built a sophisticated, point-and-click surveillance system that performs instant wiretaps on almost any communications device, according to nearly a thousand pages of restricted documents newly released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The surveillance system, called DCSNet, for Digital Collection System Network, connects FBI wiretapping rooms to switches controlled by traditional land-line operators, internet-telephony providers and cellular companies. It is far more intricately woven into the nation’s telecom infrastructure than observers suspected.

It’s a “comprehensive wiretap system that intercepts wire-line phones, cellular phones, SMS and push-to-talk systems,” says Steven Bellovin, a Columbia University computer science professor and longtime surveillance expert.

More at Wire.com

EFF.org has the System Security Plan for the push button survielance system:

The DCS 3000 is an Electronic Surveillance (ELSUR) collection system that supports
Criminal Law Enforcement (CLE) as well as Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Pen
Register investigations. The Operational Technology Division (OTD), Electronic Surveillance
Technology Section (ESTS), Telecommunications Intercept and Collection Technology Unit
(TICTU) developed and deployed the DCS 3000 system in Central Monitoring Plants (CMPs) in
various FBI offices. This SSP documents the security policies and procedures for the DCS
3000 system. In addition, this plan delineates responsibilities and expected behavior of all
individuals who access the system. This plan establishes the approved operational baseline
and configuration and is the basis for the type certification and accreditation of the DCS 3000,
regardless of the physical location of systems within the FBI. This document has been prepared
in accordance with guidance provided by the FBI Certification and Accreditation (C&A)
Handbook Version 2.1, June 1, 2005.

The entire System Security Plan Certification & Accreditation Plan for the DCS3000

Popularity: 3% [?]

State of the North American Union: Mexican Trucks Begin Crossing Border Saturday

The decision to open up the borders for the sake of business was made in the 90s by the first Bush, finalized by President Clinton and nurtured by David Rockafeller (CFR). The entire package was called the North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA]. Many of the same concerns were brought up back then.

Truckers from Mexico will be delivering goods as early as 2007 Labor day weekend.

The expected employment effects of NAFTA were by far the most common point of debate and were at the center of a series of Senate Finance Committee hearings held during Sep., 1992 and again in Sep., 1993. It was well understood that NAFTA would lead to job decreases in some sectors and job creation in others. The main point of contention was the expected net effects of NAFTA on employment. The position of the committee members, the administration and public witnesses on this point were often polarized. Senator Donald Riegle Jr. (D-Mich.), for example, noted in his opening statement at Sep. 8, 1992 Senate Finance Committee hearings, “The main export we are going to ship to Mexico under the agreement, apparently, as it has been negotiated here, is going to be jobs.”(5) This sentiment was echoed by Thomas R. Donahue, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO as he noted in his prepared 1993 statement, “In brief, the AFL-CIO believes that the adoption of [NAFTA] would seriously harm the US economy, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of American jobs and a decline in the nation’s standard of living.”(6) Whereas administration witness, US Trade Representative, Carla Hills, held the opposite view as she noted in 1992, “This agreement will generate new, higher-paying jobs for Americans. More than 600,000 Americans now owe their jobs to our exports to Mexico. This number is expected to swell to over 1 million by 1995 with NAFTA.”(7) — Find Articles

“What a slap in the face to American workers, opening the highways to dangerous trucks on Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest driving weekends of the year,” said Teamsters President Jim Hoffa.
Joining the Teamsters in seeking the emergency stay were the Sierra Club and Public Citizen.
“Before providing unconditional access throughout the country to tens of thousands of big rigs we know little to nothing about, we must insure they meet safety and environmental standards,” Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope said.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in a statement, said it was working closely with the department’s inspector general “as his office completes an additional assessment of the program and we prepare a detailed response to that report.”The Bush administration said last week it would start the cross-border program once the Transportation Department’s inspector general certifies safety and inspection plans.

The elected officials voting on NAFTA were influenced greatly by the cold hard cash of lobbyists who wanted it to happen. David Rockafeller & Dick Cheney of the Council on Foreign Relations had a LOT to do with NAFTA.

Dick Cheney keeping CFR Secrets

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But why would the CFR support this:


Is this really going to happen:

If there is a North American Union, why isn’t on the news:

bonus conspiracy theory:

Popularity: 5% [?]

Open Grid Service Architecture for DMV Driver’s License Data Bases

Disclaimer: The following is pure speculation on my part. I am simply a private citizen doing my own independent research. I do NOT have access to any confidential information regarding any kind of national ID system. According to the Department of Homeland Security their is no national ID system anyway.

The U.S. Government has put the REAL ID act of 2005 in to motion (it road in on the back of a troop support bill). It specifies the need to consolidate all state ID and driver’s license systems and a standardization of basic features of each card (features such as types of data to data).

This sounds like the first step in making U.S. driver’s licences/ID cards into a national ID card. Something most Americans oppose. Merging all the driver’s license databases together could allow for an Open Grid Service Achitecture (OGSA).

What is Open Grid Service Architecture?
According to Open Grid Service Architecture ver 1.0:
Key to the realization of this Grid vision is standardization, so that the diverse components that make up a modern computing environment can be discovered, accessed, allocated, monitored, accounted for, billed for, etc., and in general managed as a single virtual system—even when provided by different vendors and/or operated by different organizations. Standardization is critical if we are to create interoperable, portable, and reusable components and systems; it can also contribute to the development of secure, robust, and scalable Grid systems by facilitating the use of good practices.

The REAL ID system could be a part of the Total Information Awareness system that DARPA’s Information Awareness system originally released to the public.

Popularity: 1% [?]

US National ID Card: Security or Citizen Tracker

Most American citizens violently oppose a National ID card.  The federal government can get around this in two ways: 

1. Don’t call it a national ID card 
2. Don’t put the federally controlled database in a federal building

The U.S. government is doing both of these things (as up 2007, should be complete by 2009).

According the the Department of Homeland Security’s FAQ on REAL ID it is NOT a national ID card & the feds will not create a national database:

“Is this a National ID card?

No. The proposed regulations establish common standards for States to issue licenses. The Federal Government is not issuing the licenses, is not collecting information about license holders, and is not requiring States to transmit license holder information to the Federal Government that the Government does not already have (such as a Social Security Number). Most States already routinely collect the information required by the Act and the proposed regulations.”

“Will a national database be created that stores information about every applicant?

No. The REAL ID Act and these regulations do not establish a national database of driver information. States will continue to collect and store information about applicants as they do today. The NPRM does not propose to change this practice and would not give the Federal government any greater access to this information”  

Well piss on my back and tell me its raining! The government is NOT creating a national ID card.  The only problem with the above statements issued by the DHS is that they are bullshit. 

Imagine.  ME, a security guy of all people, opposed to a National ID Card?  But I’m not the only one.

First off, what is this National ID Card REAL ID Card?

On March 1, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released draft regulations [PDF] for implementing REAL ID, which makes states standardize drivers licenses and create a vast national database linking all of the ID records together. Once in place, uses of the IDs and database will inevitably expand to facilitate a wide range of tracking and surveillance activities. — EFF

As stated above, the National ID Card for the U.S. would be based on existing State I.D. Cards and driver’s license programs.  The main issue is linking all state databases together so that the federal government can track citizens.  

Now you may be wondering: Does this sound like something an illegal immigrant and/or criminal would not be able to falsify?  (and even if they are caught current laws for illegal immigrants are not enforced)  If illegal immigrants are not going to abide by the law, does this law really enhance the nation’s security?  

Oppose the Real ID Act of 2005 

My main reason for opposing a US national ID card is that I don’t trust the federal government with a consolidated view and control of all of our information.  I think all the information they gather will eventually fall into the wrong hands (on purpose or by negligence).  I was in the military, so the feds already have my data and the feds have lost MY {privacy act protected} information more than once.  A branch of the U.S. government lost 25.6 million account including the Social Security Numbers for Veterans more than once. They kept this information secret from the victims for 19 days.  19 days is ample time for someone to steal an identity once they have the information they need.  In one case the data was supposedly recovered and deemed by the FBI forensics as un-tampered with.  Supposedly they are not creating a seperate national database… but the linked state system WILL be the national database from which the feds will feed.  Its a play on words and I wish people would wake up screaming about this.

There seems to be a disregard for protecting the privacy and security of citizens.  The resources that would normally be used to protect us are being wasted and sent to serve other purposes.  In my oppinion security is still NOT being done because illegal immigrant laws are not being enforced despite the fact there is a “war on terrorism”.  Now if you don’t think something is seriously wrong about the protection of our borders at a time when their is a “war on terrorism” read the story of Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos being jailed for shoot a drug dealer trying to enter the country. The DHS officials lied to congress about these agents (and got caught).  Drug smuggler Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila is a free man.  Meanwhile, other border patrol agents are being deployed to Iraq.  I believe there is a reason that the law is not enforced but I leave that speculation up to you.

Privacy Clearing House has a chronological list of data breaches starting from 2005.  The more databases of large organizations (schools, federal/state, credit cards) our personal information is in, the greater the risk of ID theft and financial fraud we face.  ID theft is currently the fastest growing crime in the US and UK.  And its been the fastest growing for a long time.  I attribute this to organizations putting security last when it should be implemented from the very begining and maintained aggressively. 

So, a national card REAL ID registry databases at the federal level may only add to on-going issues of personal security of US citizens which the US government does not seem to worried about too much. 

To the credit of the U.S. federal government, the Department of Homeland Security’s Chief Privacy Officer, Hugo Teufel III, issued a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).  According to the document the National ID card would be difficult to falsify. 

Other issues addressed in the PIA:

The PIA addresses the key privacy issues posed by the Act: (1) Does the REAL ID Act create a national identity card or database; (2) How will personal information required by the REAL ID Act be protected in the state databases; (3) How will the personal information stored on the machine readable technology on the driver’s licenses and identification cards be protected from unauthorized collection and use; and (4) Do the requirements for a photograph and address on the credential and the DMV employee background check erode privacy.

The REAL ID method will extend the life and legitamacy of the Social Security Number as a national ID number.

The DHS PIA document is exactly right when it states:

Some of the public concern about the REAL ID stems from the history surrounding the expansive use of the SSN beyond its original purpose of recording the information necessary to provide a public pension benefit.

The original purpose of the Social Security Number was to track taxation and payments for social programs under Roosevelt’s New Deal created in the 1930s following the Great Drepression.  These days the Social Security number is a de facto national ID number issued to all citizens and you really can’t do anything signifigant without it (i.e. get a job… unless your are an illegal immigrant.. i guess people in the US have privacy after all).  BTW - Collecting Social Security after age 65 is a joke… it is program that will not support the “baby boomer” (but that is a different issue all together). 

The DHS Privacy Impact Assessment goes through most general concerns the the REAL ID act posses to the privacy of U.S. citizens thoroughly…. except for one. Put on your tin-foil hats for this one.  The government works so closely with private companies (namely lobbyists pushing and paying for certain policies, bid and no-bid contracts, laws and regulations) that I believe that they would give out our con$olidated information for the right price. Realistically, a national database in some form or another already exists (social security).  But the REAL ID database would make it possible to have a REAL-time view of all transactions.

DHS PIA pg. 6: “financial institutions, retailers, hotels, health-care providers, and others may consider the REAL ID credential”. 

It sounds like the ultimate consolidation of all personal data.  It will merge your social, driver’s license, and possibly finacial and medical info. 

You see, the REAL ID system would not just be used in the police but with PRIVATE agencies.  On military installations you can’t do much of anything without a certain government ID card.  The data on this REAL ID will be the cream of the crop.  Particularly if is collects data on where you’ve been.  But conspiracy theories on new American corporate facism aside, people need to know that this is happening.  A wake up is long over due for Americans.  I just hope this cancerous apathy doesn’t kill the priciples of the country I love.

Check out the last line of the DHS Privacy Impact Assessment:

The public is encouraged to comment on the NPRM and on the privacy issues associated with implementation of the Act in order to ensure that the final rule reflects robust public input on these important issues.

Links:

Facial Recognition to deter ID Theft

DHS Privacy Impact Assessment REAL ID Act - Chief Privacy Officer, DHS

Four State Oppose RealID (New Hampshire, Oklahoma, joined Montana, Washington - as of 10 Jun 2007)

(New Hampshire, Oklahoma, joined Montana, Washington - as of 10 Jun 2007)Ron Paul oppinion on Amnesty for illegal immigrants and the National ID

(New Hampshire, Oklahoma, joined Montana, Washington - as of 10 Jun 2007)

(New Hampshire, Oklahoma, joined Montana, Washington - as of 10 Jun 2007)New World Ord… I mean other things that didn’t make it into the REAL ID ACT:

(New Hampshire, Oklahoma, joined Montana, Washington - as of 10 Jun 2007)

(New Hampshire, Oklahoma, joined Montana, Washington - as of 10 Jun 2007)

Original legislation contained one of the most controversial elements which did not make it into the final legislation that was signed into law. It would have required states to sign a new compact known as the Driver License Agreement (DLA) as written by the Joint Driver’s License Compact/ Non-Resident Violators Compact Executive Board with the support of AAMVA which would have required states to give reciprocity to those provinces and territories in Canada and those states in Mexico that joined the DLA and complied with its provisions. As a part of the DLA, states would be required to network their databases with these provinces, territories and Mexican states. The databases that are accessible would include sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, home addresses and other information. The foreign states and provinces are not required to abide with the Drivers Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) and are free to access and use the sensitive information as they see fit.  - REAL ID wiki

The UK is fighting the same battle of liberties. 

If I trusted the government, I suppose this would not be that big a deal.

Bonus: Total “Terrorism” Information Awareness - TIA 

 Multiple standardized computing environments can be monitored and controlled using Open Grid Service Architecture (OGSA).  If the federal government is not using this technology togather data from the DMV systems I would be very surprised.

 

 

 

 

Popularity: 5% [?]

Written by elamb.security · Filed Under Access Control, DHS, Identity Theft, Main Digg, NWO, Patiot Act, Privacy, financial fraud, fraud, freedom 

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