THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERNET

TRIFECTA: IS YOUR PHONE A SECURITY THREAT?

THIS DAY IN TWITCHY: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

Ricky Gervais blames celebs, not hackers, for leak of nude pics

In case you missed his hastily deleted tweet, here is Ricky Gervais blaming the violation of a woman's body on her. pic.twitter.com/Uck6krEGVd
— Emily Reynolds (@rey_z) September 1, 2014

@rickygervais how about stop attacking victims and instead direct your attitude toward the hackers who broke the law & invaded their privacy
— Samantha ಠ_ಠ (@battledinosaur) September 1, 2014

@rickygervais @KurtEddy nope nope nope nope nope nope. Attack the hackers not the women
— Natalie M-P (@NatalieMP3) September 1, 2014

'Group molestation': Patricia Arquette, Emma Watson weigh in on nude photo leaks

Even worse than seeing women's privacy violated on social media is reading the accompanying comments that show such a lack of empathy.
— Emma Watson (@EmWatson) September 1, 2014

Every time someone opens a stolen intimate nude photo of anyone. They are becoming a sexual molester. Participating in a group molestation.
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) September 1, 2014

Andrea Tantaros has had it with the media and its 'help for terrorists'

Instead of addressing Obama saying "we have no strategy on ISIS, network Sun shows talk about his suit choice, immigration & Chuck Todd.
— Andrea Tantaros (@AndreaTantaros) August 31, 2014

It's time for another game of 'let's compare and contrast David Cameron, Barack Obama'

David Cameron raises terror threat to "severe." Barack Obama lowers his golf handicap. #isis
— Razor (@hale_razor) August 31, 2014

Cameron can be a jerk but at least he's a isn't a dithering idiot and can lead in times of crisis.
— MAMADOXIE (@Mamadoxie) September 1, 2014

David Cameron: We cannot allow 'openness to be confused with a tolerance of extremism'

@David_Cameron just announced an aggressive new approach to Islamic extremists/terrorists. So that's what a real leader looks like.
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) September 1, 2014

David Cameron has announced new powers to forcibly relocate terror suspects http://t.co/tnlKrin5RI (PA) pic.twitter.com/n5QHEszQQf
— The Times of London (@thetimes) September 1, 2014

Rotherham abuse whistleblower reportedly 'booked on diversity course' after raising concerns

How the Home Office researcher who exposed the Rotherham grooming was treated. O tempora o mores! pic.twitter.com/HSxc7qtPHU
— Daniel Hannan (@DanHannanMEP) September 1, 2014

Modern British society for you; 'diversity' training for all. That's what happens when you have no right to air your opinion. @DanHannanMEP
— dev/null (@NapoPeb) September 1, 2014

Halfway through second term Obama tells people to 'hope'

That dude is mad sweaty “@WhiteHouse: President Obama in Milwaukee at #Laborfest2014 pic.twitter.com/NjfWV5CaZa”
— Kelcé (@hutchingsahn) September 1, 2014

Fast food workers plan strikes, civil disobedience on Sept. 4

fast food workers on strike Sept 4th! as always @McDonalds will try to deny employees' brave action, but the world is watching #FightFor15
— mindy isser (@mindyisser) September 1, 2014

'First day as NEA president': Already getting cozy with the White House

Such a pleasure to meet @Lily_NEA, new President of @NEAToday, on Air Force 1. Quite a first day on the job, Lily! pic.twitter.com/XnRSpwyHhz
— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) September 1, 2014

James Woods is pessimistic about Obama's ISIS strategy

An ISIS strategy (or lack thereof): http://t.co/NqSeqCPbwU Asking Obama for a military strategy is like asking a cuttlefish to do algebra
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 1, 2014

@RealJamesWoods @FredZeppelin12 You have better odds with the Cuttlefish.
— Jim Whittington (@jhwhittington1) September 1, 2014

RED EYE - MAY 7, 2014 FULL EPISODE

Greg welcomes guests Dagen McDowell and Ambassador John Bolton.

Wave of the future: Company's new prosthetic face will help you dodge surveillance cameras

An activist focused on surveillance issues is seeing the future -- and everyone in it looks like him.

Leo Selvaggio thinks enough Americans are growing worried enough about the omnipresence of security cameras, ubiquitous personal recording devices and ever-more-precise face recognition software that they're willing to wear a rubber prosthetic mask to conceal their actual identities, according to the technology website CNET.

That would make it impossible to be picked up and identified by a random street camera or caught in the background of a picture taken by a stranger then tagged on the Internet. It might keep them from landing in the authorities' files too, if they're part of any street demonstrations.

"We don't believe you should be tracked just because you want to walk outside and you shouldn't have to hide either. Instead, use one of our products to present an alternative identity when in public," states the website for Selvaggio's company URME (pronounced "you-are-me").

The "alternative identity" is Leo Selvaggio.

The company name comes from its product – the "Personal Surveillance Identity Prosthetic" is made from a 3D  scan of Selvaggio's face. And it's meant to be taken literally. In other words, if you're wearing the mask, as far as face recognition software is concerned, you are Selvaggio.

INSTAVISION: PRIVACY IN THE AGE OF GPS

Boston Globe technology journalist and author Hiawatha Bray talks about his new book You Are Here. Bray thinks that GPS is changing our lives very quickly and dramatically. While GPS makes it very difficult to get lost, a Malaysia Airlines jet still managed to disappear off the planet. Still, will GPS eliminate jobs like truck drivers, taxi drivers, and pilots? Even worse, will GPS eliminate privacy, and make it easier for governments to put the population under surveillance? Find out.

TRIFECTA: THREATS TO THE AMERICAN DREAM

OBAMACARE SITES VULNERABLE TO WIFI ATTACKS

Multiple State Exchanges Vulnerable to Wi-Fi Attack

Multiple state-run health-care exchanges are vulnerable to a type of Wi-Fi attack that can allow hackers to intercept usernames and passwords, KSTP, a Minnesota ABC affiliate, reports.

According to Mark Lanterman, the CEO and chief technology officer of Computer Forensic Services who ran the simulated attack for KSTP, state-run exchanges in Minnesota, Hawaii, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Maryland, and the District of Columbia are vulnerable to it.

Lanterman tested at least a dozen of the state-run exchanges to determine if they had the vulnerability. Kentucky, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, and California did not. HealthCare.gov, the federal exchange, also is not vulnerable to the attack.

TRIFECTA: TRAMPLING THE FOURTH AMENDMENT

"WHAT IDIOT SET THIS UP? HACKER'S WET DREAM"

John McAfee on Obamacare: 'This is a hacker's wet dream'

On Fox Business Network's "Cavuto" on Wednesday, computer programmer and founder of McAfee, Inc. John McAfee said the online component of Obamacare "is a hacker's wet dream" that will cause "the loss of income for the millions of Americans who are going to lose their identities."

For starters, McAfee said the way it is set up makes it possible for fake websites be set up to fool people to think they’re signing up for Obamacare.

"It's seriously bad," McAfee said. "Somebody made a grave error, not in designing the program but in simply implementing the web aspect of it. I mean, for example, anybody can put up a web page and claim to be a broker for this system. There is no central place where I can go and say, 'OK, here are all the legitimate brokers, the examiners for all of the states and pick and choose one.'"

"Instead, any hacker can put a website up, make it look extremely competitive, and because of the nature of the system — and this is health care, after all — they can ask you the most intimate questions, and you're freely going to answer them," he continued. "What's my Social Security number? My birth date? What are my health issues?"

REMEMBER WHEN DEMS PRETENDED TO CARE?

The Obama Regime's NSA Stores Metadata On Millions of Americans For Up To One Year

The National Security Agency is storing the online metadata of millions of internet users for up to a year, regardless of whether or not they are persons of interest to the agency, top secret documents reveal.

Metadata provides a record of almost anything a user does online, from browsing history - such as map searches and websites visited - to account details, email activity, and even some account passwords. This can be used to build a detailed picture of an individual's life.

The Obama administration has repeatedly stated that the NSA keeps only the content of messages and communications of people it is intentionally targeting - but internal documents reveal the agency retains vast amounts of metadata.

An introductory guide to digital network intelligence for NSA field agents, included in documents disclosed by former contractor Edward Snowden, describes the agency's metadata repository, codenamed Marina. Any computer metadata picked up by NSA collection systems is routed to the Marina database, the guide explains. Phone metadata is sent to a separate system.

"The Marina metadata application tracks a user's browser experience, gathers contact information/content and develops summaries of target," the analysts' guide explains. "This tool offers the ability to export the data in a variety of formats, as well as create various charts to assist in pattern-of-life development."

The guide goes on to explain Marina's unique capability: "Of the more distinguishing features, Marina has the ability to look back on the last 365 days' worth of DNI metadata seen by the Sigint collection system, regardless whether or not it was tasked for collection."

Be sure to read the entire article!

RED EYE - SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 FULL EPISODE

Greg welcomes guests Jo Ling Kent and Eric Metaxas. Plus, TV's Andy Levy joins the panel.


NBC/WSJ poll shows 2:1 opposition to raising the debt ceiling

The polling news hasn't improved much for Barack Obama, even without a military attack on Syria in the offing.  A new poll from NBC and the Wall Street Journal shows Americans lining up 2:1 against the debt-ceiling increase Obama needs, and his credibility dropping on a wide range of issues:

Americans overwhelmingly do not think Congress should raise the nation's debt limit as President Barack Obama and Congress prepare once again to wage battle over the issue, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

By a 44-22 percent margin, Americans oppose raising the debt ceiling, which again puts the president in the difficult position of needing to make the case for an unpopular policy with a deadline quickly approaching.

The poll results come as the U.S. Treasury Department says the country will reach its debt limit by mid-October. The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates the limit will be reached by Oct. 18, and the U.S. could default by Nov. 5.

"People’s first instinct is how fed up they are with Washington and spending," said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the poll with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart. "This is a very difficult issue in terms of public opinion."

Democrats have now lost the foreign-policy edge they gained over George W. Bush on Iraq.  Republicans have a seven-point lead over Obama on that area. Their once huge lead on health care has now dwindled down to single digits. During the Bush administration, Democrats had an edge of more than 20 points on the federal deficit; now Republicans have a double-digit lead there, too.

Add all of that to the faceplant this week on Syria, and Obama goes into the budget fight in the weakest state of his presidency.  Can Republicans leverage that into a win over ObamaCare that at least delays the onset until the midterms give them more power to dismantle it?

HORRIFYING STORY: "WAKE UP, YOU LITTLE SLUT..."

There is a new trend in technology called "the Internet of things."

All of your household electronics and appliances are getting connected to the Internet, everything from your lights to your thermostats.  In the long-run, connecting these things to the Internet will provide all sorts of conveniences and efficiencies.

But there is a dark side to the Internet of Things.  Powerful, cutting-edge technologies created in the name of "efficiency" have been known to result in horrifying consequences.  Forbes has one such story:

Marc Gilbert got a horrible surprise from a stranger on his 34th birthday in August. After the celebration had died down, the Houston resident heard an unfamiliar voice coming from his daughter’s room; the person was telling his sleeping 2-year-old, "Wake up, you little slut." When Gilbert rushed in, he discovered the voice was coming from his baby monitor and that whoever had taken control of it was also able to manipulate the camera. Gilbert immediately unplugged the monitor but not before the hacker had a chance to call him a moron.

The monitor, made by Foscam of Shenzhen, China, lets users monitor audio and video over the Internet from anywhere in the world. Months earlier security researchers had discovered software flaws in the product that allowed attackers to take control of the monitor remotely or to sign into its stream if they used the user name "admin." Foscam had quietly come up with a fix the month before but had not pushed it out to its users. When Gilbert checked his Foscam account, he discovered that the hacker had added his own user name - "Root" - so he could sign in whenever he wanted. Gilbert is now considering a class action against Foscam. He could find other plaintiffs using a search engine called Shodan. It's likely the tool the pervy hacker used to find him.

Shodan crawls the Internet looking for devices, many of which are programmed to answer. It has found cars, fetal heart monitors, office building heating-control systems, water treatment facilities, power plant controls, traffic lights and glucose meters. A search for the type of baby monitor used by the Gilberts reveals that more than 40,000 other people are using the IP cam - and may be sitting ducks for creepy hackers.

Please be sure to read the entire article to learn more about the problem and who created the program.  Shodan can find all kinds of stuff: webcams, traffic lights...glucose meters.  Think about all the scary possibilities.

The article suggests the key to protecting yourself against invasions like the one Gilbert went through is to never buy an Internet-connected gadget that is not password protected. Also, if you buy one that comes with a default password and user name, change it immediately.  Stay safe, people!