Author Topic: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA  (Read 1169 times)

roo_ster

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Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« on: January 17, 2014, 03:22:33 PM »
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/01/today_i_briefed.html

Quote
Today I Briefed Congress on the NSA

This morning I spent an hour in a closed room with six Members of Congress: Rep. Lofgren, Rep. Sensenbrenner, Rep. Scott, Rep. Goodlate, Rep Thompson, and Rep. Amash. No staffers, no public: just them. Lofgren asked me to brief her and a few Representatives on the NSA. She said that the NSA wasn't forthcoming about their activities, and they wanted me -- as someone with access to the Snowden documents -- to explain to them what the NSA was doing. Of course I'm not going to give details on the meeting, except to say that it was candid and interesting. And that it's extremely freaky that Congress has such a difficult time getting information out of the NSA that they have to ask me. I really want oversight to work better in this country.

Surreal part of setting up this meeting: I suggested that we hold this meeting in a SCIF, because they wanted me to talk about top secret documents that had not been made public. The problem is that I, as someone without a clearance, would not be allowed into the SCIF. So we had to have the meeting in a regular room.

EDITED TO ADD: This really was an extraordinary thing.

So much for oversight of the executive by the legislative branch. 

Also, Catch22.

Regards,

roo_ster

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Scout26

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2014, 11:43:19 PM »
Why would he suggest a meeting in SCIF, if he's not allowed in?

 ??? ??? ??? ???
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mtnbkr

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2014, 11:49:17 PM »
Why would he suggest a meeting in SCIF, if he's not allowed in?

 ??? ??? ??? ???

I think he's saying he wasn't allowed into the available SCIF.

Chris

RoadKingLarry

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2014, 11:58:15 PM »
Why would he suggest a meeting in SCIF, if he's not allowed in?

 ??? ??? ??? ???

A SCIF is not a magic exclusionary zone where only TS/SCI clearences are allowed in. I worked in a SCIF for several months with only a Secret clearence before my TS was finished. Granted I had to be escorted everywhere from the time I crossed the threshold till I left but I was in.
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Gewehr98

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2014, 12:25:18 AM »
Depends on the level of classified he wanted to discuss, too.

Supposedly, he had TS material from Snowden. 

Myself, I would've given him an escort into the SCIF, since the material was at that level.
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mtnbkr

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2014, 12:31:47 AM »
I wonder if his involvement in the Snowden thing is why he left British Telecom not long ago.

Chris

Hawkmoon

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2014, 04:53:13 PM »
What's a SCIF?
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
100% Politically Incorrect by Design

mtnbkr

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Ron

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2014, 05:15:58 PM »
For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

Ben

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2014, 05:47:37 PM »
The cone of silence.

Speak up, I can't hear you.
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Fly320s

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Re: Schneier Briefed Congress on the NSA
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2014, 08:16:16 AM »
The cone of silence.

When populated with politicians, it is the cone of shame.
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