[Tinfoil] DHS releases list of keywords they monitor social networks for.

Commissar Smersh · May 28, 2012

Forbes
Dept. of Homeland Security Forced to Release List of Keywords Used to Monitor Social Networking Sites

If you are thinking about tweeting about clouds, pork, exercise or even Mexico, think again. Doing so may result in a closer look by the U.S. Department of Homeland

Security

.
In a story appearing earlier today on the U.K’s Daily Mail website, it was reported that the DHS has been forced to release a list of keywords and phrases it uses to monitor various social networking sites. The list provides a glimpse into what DHS describes as “signs of terrorist or other threats against the U.S.”

The information sheds new light on how government analysts are instructed to patrol the internet searching for domestic and external threats. The Daily Mail’s article noted the Electronic Privacy Information Center wrote a letter to the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counter-terrorism and Intelligence, describing it’s choice of words as ‘broad, vague and ambiguous’.The list was posted by the Electronic Privacy Information Center who filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act, before suing to obtain the release of the documents. The documents were part of the department’s 2011 ’Analyst’s Desktop Binder‘ used by workers at their National Operations Center which instructs workers to identify ‘media reports that reflect adversely on DHS and response activities’.
What wasn’t disclosed is how the agency actually gains access to the various search engines and social networks to monitor the specified keywords. My guess is the DHS has a “special arrangement” with companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Yahooand Twitter to gain secure direct API access. This type of access would allow it to use distributed cloud technologies to monitor the daily flow of social media and search activity in something close to real time.
I would love to learn more about the technologies used to accomplish this type of social / web monitoring. The applications for monitoring trends and social statics are fascinating when applied to other industry sectors. Given the extent of the monitoring, I’m sure this post itself is now coming up on the DHS radar, so please feel free to leave a comment with any insights.
(Update 1: Reading through the Desktop Binder, I discovered the DHS Twitter account is @dhsnocmmc1 and DHS appears to be using tweetdeck to monitor the various keywords. See Page 38 – Also interesting to note they seem to be using a Mac Mini as a server, and no password vaults. All Passwords appear to be shared in a plain text word document.)
(Update 2: On page 37, DHS instructs analysts to accept invalid SSL certificates forever without verification. Although invalid SSL warnings often appear in benign situations, they can also signal a man-in-the-middle attack.Not a good practice for the security conscience. Thanks to @obra on twitter for the tip.)
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MSP · May 28, 2012

Salmonella pandemic plague dirty bomb state of emergency!

There we go, now we're being monitored for sure.

tweakmonkey · May 28, 2012

What's funny is by circulating this list, the effectiveness of this screening is going to crash. Needle in a haystack... I like how it's an image rather than a list though. That's the safest way for Google etc.

mistawiskas · May 28, 2012

That's a partial list, not anywhere near complete. We've been on the radar for a long time now. The dude really is watching everyone.

Torx · May 29, 2012

yea, tweak is no hidden Organized crime. We are the mutation of testicular anthrax run amok!

hide your kids, hide your wife cuz everybody contaminated out here

lets see who gets the first anon phone call from the gov.

mistawiskas · May 29, 2012

Let's put it this way. The man excells at seeding miss info/hysteria/hyperbole. Would you trust anything that comes from the DHS as gospell?

Commissar Smersh · May 29, 2012

Torx said: ↑

yea, tweak is no hidden Organized crime. We are the mutation of testicular anthrax run amok!

hide your kids, hide your wife cuz everybody contaminated out here

lets see who gets the first anon phone call from the gov.
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MSP already did.

mistawiskas · May 30, 2012

[tinfoil]We've been on the radar since the conception of T3D. Now......with the expansion of the cybercrime bill......we probably have agent(s) here on the boards keeping an eye on things.
[/tinfoil]

Torx · May 31, 2012

maybe im the agent.

all of you going to jail.

mistawiskas · May 31, 2012

Everyone.................................... choose your words wisely.....torx has his ears on

HEAVY-D · May 31, 2012

Torx said: ↑

maybe im the agent.

all of you going to jail.
Click to expand...

What is this? The Matrix again?

mistawiskas · Jun 1, 2012

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[Tinfoil] DHS releases list of keywords they monitor social networks for.

Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

MSP Haunting a dead forum...

tweakmonkey Webmaster Staff Member

mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

Torx Indigenous Nudist

mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

Torx Indigenous Nudist

mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

HEAVY-D Eh?!

mistawiskas kik n a and takin names