The Other Side of the Sword - Damage Done by the NSA Leaks

In part from The Free Beacon

 "Jihadist websites urged terrorists to change passwords and shift communications to more secure means following the recent disclosure of the National Security Agency’s electronic surveillance of the Internet, according to U.S. officials.

Postings monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies called for the changes in online communications and are the first sign of potential damage caused by the publication of the NSA’s large-scale program to monitor Internet traffic through major U.S. data companies.

The once top-secret program known as PRISM was disclosed by NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who said he exposed the program as infringing on Americans’ civil liberties....."

"The al Qaeda-affiliated, open-access website Ansar al Mujahidin posted several messages earlier this week expressing concern and urging terrorists to seek more secure electronic communications outlets. Terrorists were critical of the Ansar al Mujahidin website administrators for not doing enough to warn members to the monitoring danger.

One jihadist identified as “Abu Muizz” stated that the NSA program is “very dangerous” as it can access email, chats, stored data, voice transfers, and social networking data. The program was a serious threat to jihadist media groups working through Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites.

In a troubling sign, the jihadist posted links to documents on the PRISM program. That is likely to allow terrorists to avoid or limit monitoring of Internet communications.

A second jihadist urged members of the al Qaeda forum to use software called Tor that can mask online identities and avoid discussing jihadist topics in online voice exchanges. Another jihadist urged terrorists to use Jitsi, a software program that allows secure video and audio calls and another software called MorphVOX that can mask voices.

The website also included, in an indication that al Qaeda is reacting to the NSA disclosures, illustrations for secure communications from a person who is a member of the closed al Qaeda website Shumukh al-Islam.

Jihadists on Twitter also urged fellow terrorists to avoid using Windows and shift to Linux. One posting said Microsoft had become “one of the CIA’s most dangerous tools” for countering terrorists...."

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