Research published in today's New York Times on the Nov. 26, 2008 terrorist strike in Mumbai blames poor coordination between the CIA, GCHQ and Indian intelligence -- and by inference also questions the value of systems such as Palantir. Are these accusations true or just a red herring planted by the report's backers, which include Pro Publica and Edward Snowden? Let's take a … [Read more...]
2014: Top 10 Surveillance Predictions That Didn’t Happen
With just 2 weeks to go before 2015, it's safe to assume that pundits will not be making any new forecasts for 2014, so it's time for C5IS's annual look at top predictions that didn't happen. We like to do this as a reality check, but also to poke fun at those who think they can predict the future -- and at the charlatans who engage in crystal ball gazing for their own ends, … [Read more...]
Best Electronic Surveillance Companies of 2014
The vote is in for the Best Electronic Surveillance Companies of 2014. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to examine surveillance companies side-by-side and pick winners that provide superlative value to "customers" -- law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the military, and of course, communications service providers that must meet compliance … [Read more...]
Raytheon 3G Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR): We Own the Night
As a battle-tested technology, thermal imaging is vital for the war fighter, and few solutions do it better than Raytheon Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR). FLIR’s ability to single out targets on the ground, from the air and over the sea, delivering detailed thermal images of hostiles in any light condition without revealing the presence of the user, is a must-have advantage in … [Read more...]
Who Do You Trust: Verizon or NSA?
As the USA Freedom Act enters hibernation during the lame duck session of Congress, word comes that Verizon -- one of the most vocal opponents of government surveillance -- has infected 100s of millions of customer accounts with “super cookies” that reveal nearly every bit as much personal information as the NSA bulk metadata collection program. It’s commonplace for … [Read more...]