I recently came across a very interesting discussion on a web blog regarding use of various discussion forums by intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA. Weblogs and message boards provide online forums for discussion that record the voice of the public. Woven into this mass of discussion is a wide range of opinion and commentary about different subjects which are being discussed. This presents an opportunity for intelligence organizations to understand and suggest certain aspects of response by analyzing this feedback.
Americans have been analyzing such data for patterns and relationships since long that could point to anti-American activities as well as gaining information from simple posters expressing their views, some of whom may hold key information and may post it unintentionally. Defense Department's Special Operations Command conducted social network analysis as part of its Able Danger program even before the 9/11 attack.
In 2004, there were 14 non-secret active or planned data mining projects for intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism efforts across 52 federal US agencies. Intelligence agencies, including the NSA and CIA, have contracts with numerous data mining vendors, including Cognos, IBM, and Teradata. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency also mine vast amounts of personal data. Though it lost congressional funding in 2003 after public outcry over privacy concerns but, it was continued under a different name. A 2004 survey by the US Government Accountability Office found that federal agencies were engaged in/or planning 199 data mining projects, including 122 involving personal data.
In the context of gaining information from various discussion forums, it was indicated that many such discussion forums are run through clandestinely by CIA and other US government agencies or through front companies. These forums target specific audience from different countries to gain information for collating it with information gained through other sources or vice versa.
Some discussion boards were also being discussed which were suspected of being funded specifically for this purpose. I cannot vouch for correctness of the information posted, but it was supported with interesting and intriguing data to support the viewpoint.
One such discussion forum which was discussed was <forum name removed>. It was indicated that this discussion forum was initiated by a company based in Europe with linkages in the US and was operated from servers in the US. Nothing wrong with this many companies do this. What was more interesting was the target audience, and it would interest the Indian posters more than anyone one else.
Though this forum is owned by a company in UK, it operates from US, 36% of its visitors come from India, about 13% come from USA and about 6% from Serbia, of all the places. Conversely, whereas over 550,000 clicks are from the US only 106,000 clicks from India. After discussing various other related aspects, it was an almost unanimous view that this is a classic CIA front site written all over it.
Americans have been analyzing such data for patterns and relationships since long that could point to anti-American activities as well as gaining information from simple posters expressing their views, some of whom may hold key information and may post it unintentionally. Defense Department's Special Operations Command conducted social network analysis as part of its Able Danger program even before the 9/11 attack.
In 2004, there were 14 non-secret active or planned data mining projects for intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism efforts across 52 federal US agencies. Intelligence agencies, including the NSA and CIA, have contracts with numerous data mining vendors, including Cognos, IBM, and Teradata. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency also mine vast amounts of personal data. Though it lost congressional funding in 2003 after public outcry over privacy concerns but, it was continued under a different name. A 2004 survey by the US Government Accountability Office found that federal agencies were engaged in/or planning 199 data mining projects, including 122 involving personal data.
In the context of gaining information from various discussion forums, it was indicated that many such discussion forums are run through clandestinely by CIA and other US government agencies or through front companies. These forums target specific audience from different countries to gain information for collating it with information gained through other sources or vice versa.
Some discussion boards were also being discussed which were suspected of being funded specifically for this purpose. I cannot vouch for correctness of the information posted, but it was supported with interesting and intriguing data to support the viewpoint.
One such discussion forum which was discussed was <forum name removed>. It was indicated that this discussion forum was initiated by a company based in Europe with linkages in the US and was operated from servers in the US. Nothing wrong with this many companies do this. What was more interesting was the target audience, and it would interest the Indian posters more than anyone one else.
Though this forum is owned by a company in UK, it operates from US, 36% of its visitors come from India, about 13% come from USA and about 6% from Serbia, of all the places. Conversely, whereas over 550,000 clicks are from the US only 106,000 clicks from India. After discussing various other related aspects, it was an almost unanimous view that this is a classic CIA front site written all over it.
