US Gov. Software Creates 'Fake People' on Social Networks to Promote
Propoganda
a.. February 18th, 2011 12:31 am ET
The US government is offering private intelligence companies contracts to
create software to manage "fake people" on social media sites and create the
illusion of consensus on controversial issues.
The contract calls for the development of "Persona Management Software"
which would help the user create and manage a variety of distinct fake
profiles online. The job listing was discussed in recently leaked emails
from the private security firm HBGary after an attack by internet activist
last week.
Click here to view the government contract (PDF)
According to the contract, the software would "protect the identity of
government agencies" by employing a number of false signals to convince
users that the poster is in fact a real person. A single user could manage
unique background information and status updates for up to 10 fake people
from a single computer.
The software enables the government to shield its identity through a number
of different methods including the ability to assign unique IP addresses to
each persona and the ability to make it appear as though the user is posting
from other locations around the world.
Included in HBGary's leaked emails was a government proposal for the
government contract. The document describes how they would 'friend' real
people on Facebook as a way to convey government messages. The document
reads:
a.. "Those names can be cross-referenced across Facebook, twitter,
MySpace, and other social media services to collect information on each
individual. Once enough information is collected this information can be
used to gain access to these individuals social circles.
b.. Even the most restrictive and security conscious of persons can be
exploited. Through the targeting and information reconnaissance phase, a
person's hometown and high school will be revealed. An adversary can create
a classmates.com account at the same high school and year and find out
people you went to high school with that do not have Facebook accounts, then
create the account and send a friend request. Under the mutual friend
decision, which is where most people can be exploited, an adversary can look
at a targets friend list if it is exposed and find a targets most socially
promiscuous friends, the ones that have over 300-500 friends, friend them to
develop mutual friends before sending a friend request to the target. To
that end friend's accounts can be compromised and used to post malicious
material to a targets wall. When choosing to participate in social media an
individual is only as protected as his/her weakest friend."
Other documents in the leaked emails include quotes from HBGary CEO Aaron
Barr saying, "There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a
level of realness to all fictitious personas... Using hashtags and gaming
some location based check-in services we can make it appear as if a persona
was actually at a conference and introduce himself/herself to key
individuals as part of the exercise, as one example."
Additional emails between HBGary employees, usually originating from Barr,
discuss the vulnerability social networking causes.
One employee wrote, "and now social networks are closing the gap between
attacker and victim, to the point I just found (via linked-in) 112 females,
wives of service men, all stationed at Hurlbert Field FL - in case you don't
know this is where the CIA flies all their "private" airlines out of. What a
damn joke - the U.S. is no longer the super power in cyber, and probably
won't be in other areas soon."
Barr also predicted a steady rise in clandestine or secret government
operations to stem the flow of sensitive information. "I would say there is
going to be a resurgence of black ops in the coming year as decision makers
settle with our inadequacies... Critical infrastructure, finance, defense
industrial base, and government have rivers of unauthorized communications
flowing from them and there are no real efforts to stop it."
The creation of internet propoganda software is only one of HBGary's
controversial activities. According to Wikileaks competetor and occasional
collaborator Cryptome.org, several other progressive organizations were
intended to be targeted including anti-war activist, anti-torture
organizations and groups opposed to the US Chamber of Commerce.
The emails also include a number of other embarrasing entries including the
purchase of the book "The Multi-Orgasmic Man: Sexual Secrets Every Man
Should Know" from Amazon for $6.76.
For more information on this and other stories click here.
Reply With Quote