A Dutch publication, NRC Handelsblad, reported yesterday that the National Security Agency has infected over 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information.
This latest piece of information in a long series of stories to come from the Edward Snowden leaks on the American spying agency comes from a 2012 internal presentation on how the NSA collects information globally.
The document refers to its methods as Computer Network Exploitation, defined as the secret infiltration of computer systems through the use of malware.
Acting as a sort of virtual “sleeper cell,” the implants can remain in place undetected for years, and be turned off and on at will with a simple command issued remotely by the NSA.
A relatively inexpensive procedure, the control of spyware can give the NSA access to information it was not previously privy to.
http://www.longisland.com/news/11-24-13/nsa-spyware-on-50000-computer-twitter-beefs-up-security.html
