Issues Under Fire: WikiLeaks, The CIA & What You Need to Know
In this video, WikiLeaks' Julian Assange explains how the Central Intelligence Agency lost control of an arsenal of cyber-weapons. According to Mr. Assange, cyber weapons are weaponized Viruses, Trojans and Malware designed to penetrate Smart Phones, Smart TV's and Computer Systems for the purpose of controlling, disabling and inserting data to or extracting data from those devises. Although reports indicate intelligence officials were aware these "Tools" had been compromised and shared, were it not for independent advocates for transparency, the world would still be in the dark.
Thanks to WikiLeaks dumping nearly 9,000 documents revealing the depth and scope of the CIA's surveillance techniques, everybody in the world should be wondering if any anti-virus or anti-spyware protection can protect their data and keep their devices under their control. Imagine your internet connected car deciding to veer into oncoming traffic while you're taking the kids to school. How the hell can you guard yourself against sh!t like that? While we don't have an answer, the face of WikiLeaks did promise to help.
According to Mr. Assange, WikiLeaks will release more detailed information on specific exploits to tech firms whose products were targeted by the CIA's tools. It was Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung, whose TVs were targeted by CIA hackers. Collectively, these companies are actively investigating the Wikileaks Vault 7 files, but have yet to warn of any previously unknown vulnerabilities that now need patching. Still, until further notice, you'd be wise to assume the worse.
No, you're not crazy after all. The conspiracy theorists were really on to something. Someone could be watching you. While the authorities continue to maintain these types of surveillance activities are only deployed against foreign targets and are never to be used domestically, how could you ever be sure? Hey, if the government has the capability to do these things to anybody, it won't be long before they'll be doing these things to everybody. It just make sense. And now that these "Tools" are out in the open, "Others" will certainly use them in ways to make our lives miserable as well.
Just by using your Smart Phone to live your life, you could be telling prying eyes everything you do, plan to do and who you're planning to do it with. And while many might be cool with the government's stated purpose of security, it gets real creepy, real fast for some, when they find CIA hackers and others can listen to your living room conversations through the mic on your brand new Samsung Flat Screen, even when it's been turned off.
Bottom line: We don't want to get anybody paranoid, but if you think about it, your smart phone has become the equivalent of a parolee's ankle monitor. You take it wherever you go, because you wouldn't think of leaving home without it. Since we now know that microphones and cameras on your devices are being activated remotely, you may have always been watched, listened to and tracked like an animal in the wild. Hey, this is the type of stuff we thought you'd be wise to pay attention to. More to follow!
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