Map of NSA Internet Interception
Sniffmap is a project to map the potential Internet mass interception performed by NSA and its allies (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). Since Edward Snowden disclosure, the security space has changed: rumors have been confirmed, data points have been available and new knowledge about security exposure and attack vectors is now known. This project tries to put this in easy to grasp visual representation, within the bigger context of TelcoMap.org.
Research methodology
As stated in the fateful NSA document, many telecommunication links go through USA and its allies to connect two other countries. This is due to least cost routing and link usage. Therefore, NSA can leverage on this to capture a lot of traffic that otherwise would not go through its points of interception.
In our endeavor to create an extensive dataset, we employ advanced techniques and methods that enable us to detect every instance where a route through the internet, between two Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, goes via or through a country that is under the control or significant influence of the National Security Agency (NSA). Our ongoing investigative project aims to throw light on the significant possibility of such routes potentially being intercepted and monitored. This process involves tracing data and developing algorithms capable of detecting the navigational pathway of online data expanse between two specified IP addresses.
The concept here is that if an internet route passes through a nation controlled or monitored by the NSA, there becomes a high probability of that data or online activity being intercepted. The NSA is a federal agency belonging to the US Department of Defense, which is known for worldwide signal intelligence, surveillance, cryptography, and cyber-security. With their extensive control over online platforms, their jurisdiction can extend beyond borders, capturing data from several nations.
As you will observe from the data we plan on presenting, there is a startling revelation—around 80% of the Internet’s total activity is captured and monitored by the NSA and its allied agencies. This absurdly high percentage indicates an almost all-encompassing surveillance of online interactions. The realization of such a vast network under surveillance might be surprising and perhaps alarming to many, serving as a wake-up call about the extent of digital privacy invasion.
This 80% encompasses major sections of the digital realm, including web surfing, email correspondences, online transactions, and social media activity. It suggests that by and large, with very few exceptions, the overwhelming majority of what we do, say, communicate, or transact online potentially falls within the purview of the NSA’s surveillance abilities.
Furthermore, it isn’t just the NSA that’s involved in this global digital monitoring ecosystem. The agency has a sprawl of allied agencies with similar operational structures, resources, and intentions. These allies extend across the national boundaries of the USA, which further expands the reach of their surveillance network. In other words, their influence and control over cyberspace are not confined merely to the geographical boundaries of America—it is global.
In conclusion, the construction of this dataset will not only be instrumental in highlighting how extensive NSA’s digital surveillance is but also assist in drawing attention to our rapidly shrinking online privacy. It will also emphasize the pressing need for better cyber-security measures, individual and collective awareness, and stricter regulatory mechanisms against universal surveillance.
Our methodology is the following
- Choose a random list of target IP address
- For each country take all known traceroute gateways
- For each traceroute gateways test each target IP address (within a pool of 255 random IP with each of the 255 class A networks)
- If this route goes through one NSA-controlled country, mark the route as “bad”, otherwise the route is marked as good.
- Compute percentage over all routes for a given country (using multiple traceroute gateways hence hopefully multiple ISPs and operators to have meaningful results)
More information HERE and HERE
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The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Sniffmap: Mapping the Extent of NSA Internet Interception Worldwide and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.The information presented in this blog is mainly based on people's opinions, and the information may be subjective.
