U.S. Military Developing False Online Personalities to Counter “Enemy Propaganda”

[jackovesk]

http://photos3.fotosearch.com/bthumb/CSP/CSP149/k1498269.jpg

http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=544418179063&id=4d8fad96ed19f2ecb11b018ecc6c649f&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wishspecialevents.com%2fblog%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2009%2f05%2fwashington_post_logo.gif

The U.S. Central Command says its new “Persona” social media "infiltration" software is designed to cozy up to extremist bloggers overseas, not law-abiding Americans chatting on Facebook or similar sites.

Earlier this month, the Web buzzed with a report that the software was designed to “manage ‘fake people’ on social media sites and create the illusion of consensus on controversial issues,” implying that the Defense Department was targeting critics of the war in Afghanistan and other conflicts.

Further compounding a sinister view of the software was the discovery of e-mails from the head of a company implicated in “dirty tricks” against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and a pro-labor organization, which discussed how such technology could be used.

"There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a level of realness to all fictitious personas...” wrote Aaron Barr, the chief executive officer of HBGary Federal, a Colorado Springs company whose hacked e-mails revealed plans to attack critics of Bank of America and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Barr resigned Feb. 28 “to allow the company to move on after an embarrassing data breach,” according to the technology Web site ThreatPost.

Centom's June 22, 2010, contract, offered through the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, specified that “Individual applications will enable an operator to exercise a number of different online persons from the same workstation and without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries…while hiding the existence of the operation…and provid(ing) excellent cover and powerful deniability.”

“Individuals can perform static impersonations, which allow them to look like the same person over time,” the contract added. It “also allows organizations that frequent same site/service often to easily switch IP addresses to look like ordinary users as opposed to one organization.”

The fake Internet personas, the contract specified, “must be able to appear to originate in nearly any part of the world and can interact through conventional online services and social media platforms.”

Centcom spokesman Cmdr. Bill Speaks acknowledged in an interview last week that the Air Force had a contract for the Persona Management Software, but denied it would be deployed against domestic online protesters.

“The contract, and the Persona management technology itself, supports classified blogging activities on foreign-language Web sites to enable CENTCOM to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the U.S.,” Speaks told SpyTalk. “The contract would more accurately be described as supporting U.S. Central Command, rather than the Air Force -- the Wing here at MacDill provides contracting support for us -- efforts.”

Speaks said the software would "absolutely" not be used against law-abiding Americans. (Yeah right!)

[Update: Speaks adds, "The phrase [law-abiding] suggests that we might use it against Americans who are not law-abiding. The truth is that these activities are not directed towards Americans, without qualification."]

Former CIA director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden called the technology cutting-edge but “developmental.”

“Operationally developmental, technologically developmental and legally developmental,” he told Washington Times reporter Shawn Waterman.

But in testimony last June, then-Centcom commander Gen. David Petraeus suggested the use of such technology was well underway.

“Operation Earnest Voice (OEV) is the critical program of record that resources our efforts to synchronize our Information Operations activities, to counter extremist ideology and propaganda, and to ensure that credible voices in the region are heard,” Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“OEV provides Centcom with direct communication capabilities to reach regional audiences through traditional media as well as via Web sites and regional public affairs blogging,” Petraeus said.

The FBI has also used fictitious identities for years to infiltrate jihadist Web sites.

Sometimes touted as "America’s first online operative in the War on Terror," the FBI's Shannen L. Rossmiller, a former Montana municipal judge, is said to have "created 30 fictitious male Islamist undercover identities...for purposes of communicating and tracking the enemy [in] Arabic language Internet forums."

"Since 9/11, Judge Rossmiller has delivered more than 200 cases of actionable intelligence and stings -- including two of the largest convictions in the War on Terror," her Web site claims.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2011/03/spy_bloggers_not_friending_us.html

[BlueEyedPersian]

The US Central Command (Centcom) has purchased software that creates false online personalities for what it calls “information operations.”

Using the software, one member of the U.S. Military can control up to ten different fake accounts that appear to belong to civilians living in other countries. The government purchased the software from California-based Ntrepid for $2.76 million

“The technology supports classified blogging activities on foreign-language websites to enable Centcom to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the US,” Centcom spokesperson Commander Bill Speaks told The Guardian.

Operations that the software could be used for include countering either disininformation campaigns, military deception, computer network operations or hacking according to the Washington Times .

According to a government document about the “Online Persona Management Service,” each fake profile is “replete with background, history, supporting details, and cyber presences that are technically, culturally and geographically consistent.” Profiles are also masked with IP addresses that make them look like they are being posted from one of several designated locations.

Speaks told the Washington Times that the military would refrain from using fake personalities on platforms that, like Facebook, ban fake profiles in their terms of service.

Source: http://on.mash.to/gLczkR

[Blueskywalking]

Thanks for the post. Some shades of internet marketer routinely do the very same thing - different IP's, multiple profiles on different sites to 'boost' rankings of the sites they are promoting...

[str8thinker]

Thanks for the post. If you don't mind my mentioning it, this has already been posted twice at Avalon:
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?14687
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?15526

The topic is an important issue that affects us all. Perhaps mods should merge all these threads so we can read the comments as one unit.

[Mad Hatter]

Would that not expose them to a multiplication effect if someone chooses to mount a DDOS attck??

[ThePythonicCow]

Perhaps mods should merge all these threads so we can read the comments as one unit.Good idea. One of the threads you mentioned was especially close in topic to this one, so I merged the two threads involving the U.S. Centcom contract.

[Gone002]

maybe members on this site

[Ahkenaten]

You can be sure that they are here among us - our task is to convert them to our cause by educating them.

[Gone002]

the people placed on this site are just 9-5 workers. They don't and will not have a grasp on the bigger picture, coverting will gain nothing other than a new assignment or being fired.

[InCiDeR]

Does a code of ethics still exist in Intelligence firms? Does it disappear behind closed doors, dirty deeds done in the dark and used against the American people who are supposed to be free to express themselves?


Army of Fake Social Media Friends to Promote Propaganda

Read more (http://www.uer.ca/forum_showthread.asp?fid=1&threadid=88443)

It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the powers-that-be didn't like. It could then potentially have their "fake" people run smear campaigns against those "real" people. As disturbing as this is, it's not really new for U.S. intelligence or private intelligence firms to do the dirty work behind closed doors.

EFF previously warned that Big Brother wants to be your friend for social media surveillance. While the FBI Intelligence Information Report Handbook (PDF) mentioned using "covert accounts" to access protected information, other government agencies endorsed using security exploits to access protected information.

It's not a big surprise that the U.S. military also wants to use social media to its benefit. Last year, Public Intelligence published the U.S. Air Force social media guide which gave 10 tips for social media such as, "The enemy is engaged in this battlespace and you must engage there as well." Number three was "DON'T LIE. Credibility is critical, without it, no one cares what you have to say...it's also punishable by the UCMJ to give a false statement." The Air Force used the chart below to show how social media influences public opinion.

The 6th Contracting Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base sought the development of Persona Management Software which could be used for creating and managing fake profiles on social media sites to distort the truth and make it appear as if there was a generally accepted agreement on controversial issues. "Personas must be able to appear to originate in nearly any part of the world and can interact through conventional online services and social media platforms." What happened to don't lie and the Uniform Code of Military Justice?

Everything revealed after Anonymous leaked emails from private security firm HBGary Federal is disturbing on many levels. However, the Daily Kos said with the Persona Management Software it would take very few people to create "an army of sockpuppets" which could distort the truth while appearing to be "an entire Brooks Brothers riot online."

So again I ask, what happened to number three . . . the rule about not lying that was also "punishable by the UCMJ to give a false statement"?

President and CEO of Plessas Experts Network, Inc, Kirby Plessas pointed out some of the unethical and potentially illegal activities that Aaron Barr's leaked emails suggested like "Chumming and baiting" which sounded like "entrapment of some sort." There would be no warrant for the data collected on individuals which could then be stored for how long? "THIS is the entire reason Intelligence Oversight was created - to avoid this sort of thing from ever happening again."

According to Redacted News, the leaked emails showed how names can be cross-referenced across social media sites to collect information on people and then used to gain access to those social ciricles. The emails also talked of how Facebook could be used to spread government messages:

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.

Lots of people have multiple online aliases, Facebook or Twitter accounts for both business and private life. What most bothers me is the lying and seemingly unethical means to an end. Although the government says it doesn't approve of censorship, etc, when its secrets come to light, it seems to be Okay with recommending underhanded tactics.

Secretary Clinton delivered a speech called, "Internet Rights and Wrongs: Choices and Challenges In A Networked World." To help promote and support Internet freedom, the State Department intends to award $25 million in grants. While that is great news, the EFF reported, "For every strong statement about preserving liberty, freedom of expression, and privacy on the global Internet, there exists a countervailing example of the United States attempting to undermine those same values."

Secretary Clinton later told "This Week" anchor Christiane Amanpou that most Americans "are in favor of human rights, freedom, democracy. We know that ultimately the most progress that can be made on behalf of human beings anywhere is when those individuals are empowered, when they have governments that are responsive." Clinton added, "At the same time, we recognize that this process can be hijacked. It can be hijacked by both outside and inside elements within any country."

So while the U.S. government can talk a good talk, what it does and what it says often doesn't seem to jive. Gasp, I know, it's not a big shocker but sometimes I find that utterly frustrating. The President wanted an Internet Kill Switch, the FBI keeps pushing for backdoors on all-things-Net. What happened to a code of ethics? Does it disappear behind closed doors, dirty deeds done in the dark and used against the American people who are supposed to be free to express themselves?

[Ahkenaten]

Yes the overarching question does the population including those employed by the Military AND THE POLICY MAKERS have any ethics by definiton? First, the population has been deliberately and systematically degraded and dumbed down for over fifty years, assaulted with relentless materialistic memes, infected with enmity and strife - in short society has been ENGINEERED to "fail" by definition, i.e. reconstructed to serve certain interests those I call the less-than-1%. Sadly many employed doing surveillance on people are unaware of the implications of their acts in particular the moral aspects. And this also has been engineered.................if you surgically remove the higher faculties of the human (intellect, social conscience, morals) then people become mere shadows of true humans. Such people are IMO subservient obedient robots.This applies to those who are unaware of the import of their actions ---- however as for those who ARE aware of the implications of their actions and yet persist due to personal gain or other reasons - what can be said of them? I believe it must be stated that they must be morally depraved.

Postscript: There would be nothing to legally prevent CENTCOM from operating from say, Australia, to run a test op on a site such as Project Avalon Forum. Australia has been the site of previous operations ordinarily forbidden in the Continental US, i.e. I believe that ECHELON was/is operated from there.

[Ahkenaten]

the people placed on this site are just 9-5 workers. They don't and will not have a grasp on the bigger picture, coverting will gain nothing other than a new assignment or being fired.

They don't have to become card-carrying whatever.....................what is in their minds is private and theirs to keep to themselves or share as they see fit. When these people read information they may absorb it, and if there are positive intentions of those trying to share information with others, they will absorb that intention as well. In fact this may be the one real opportunity to educate here................people are good. I do not believe that most people intentionally betray their own, or others' interests. This happens out of ignorance and is not deliberate. Information is POWERFUL - especially empowering information, i.e. critical analysis, well-reasoned arguments underpinned with morals and FACTS. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE. I hope they keep their jobs...................as for the robots, well, I have no idea if they can be educated let alone humanized. Computers are not human.

[Fred Steeves]

the people placed on this site are just 9-5 workers. They don't and will not have a grasp on the bigger picture, coverting will gain nothing other than a new assignment or being fired.


Could be, but it would be wise to never underestimate either. These people are masters at psychological warfare, multi-dimensional chess. That maybe should not be overlooked while we stand ready to play our wild card, whatever that may be.

Cheers,
Fred S.

[jorr lundstrom]

You can be sure that they are here among us - our task is to convert them to our cause by educating them.

Ahkenaten, you know you are one of my absolute favorites. I love your comments.

Do you think they learn something. And if so, wot?:ranger:

[Ahkenaten]

Well Jorr I find you to be fascinating too for various reasons (speaking of multi-dimensional chess, still pondering the multi-dimensions of the Cup, Sword, Wand and the .....wot was it now?).....................

I think some of the biggest lessons to be learned interacting with other people are:

NEVER underestimate the resilience and basic goodness of the human spirit (assuming we are dealing with humans of course!)
NEVER lose faith in the power of the human being to solve problems and overcome obstacles
NEVER lose basic respect for fellow human beings' humanity (assuming it is a human we are dealing with)
NEVER assume one knows everything about others OR make the possibly fatal mistake of attributing one's own values to others.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT - never underestimate the power of people working together to effect positive change. WE ARE ALL ONE (on the energetic level)

[jorr lundstrom]

Well Jorr I find you to be fascinating too for various reasons (speaking of multi-dimensional chess, still pondering the multi-dimensions of the Cup, Sword, Wand and the .....wot was it now?).....................

I think some of the biggest lessons to be learned interacting with other people are:

NEVER underestimate the resilience and basic goodness of the human spirit (assuming we are dealing with humans of course!)
NEVER lose faith in the power of the human being to solve problems and overcome obstacles
NEVER lose basic respect for fellow human beings humanity (assuming it is a human we are dealing with)
NEVER assume one knows everything about others OR make the possibly fatal mistake of attributing one's own values to others.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT - never underestimate the power of people working together to effect positive change. WE ARE ALL ONE (on the energetic level)

Please Ahkenaten, not chess. I am very good at chess, but when I many years ago realized I was

only playing against myself I stopped playing chess. We could play peek a boo or something

but not chess. You wrote in another post about morals as engineered, and thats true. The problem

with morals is that they dont stick deep and are easily erased. Which we see in the world today.

When leaders dont show any morality, followers ie the people follow and dont apply any moral

considerations in their lifes. We must get to ethics, which are the human hearts ability to find out

wots right or wrong. But then people must land in their hearts first. :violin:

[Ahkenaten]

Ethics, morals. Some people equate the two. I agree with you that morals/ethics originate in the heart, BUT sound reasoning supports and reinforces the good heart. A confused mind bereft of morals/ethics is in deep doo-doo and I do not mean "peek-a-doo-doo" here. If one was not raised with ethics/morals and therefor does not have these ideals implanted firmly in their heart - and on top of that one has a confused mind that is not functioning optimally - what is the hope of that person purely thinking their way to sanity and true humanity?? Practically nil unfortunately! I agree about chess, it may not be satisfying after a certain point, playing chess with oneself as playing with oneself in general, may not be satisfying if you will pardon me. People need not lament the lack of morality in their "leaders" as what one sees on the stage of history today are usually pre-selected play actors and not leaders at all. Those who make the selections remain hidden behind the curtains and so not much is known about their leadership capabilities, but their morals/ethics are surely reflected in the specific actions they direct their puppets to take.

In Japan now, to use an example, though it appears that the leaders are not very decisive and it appears for whatever reason, all the facts and decisions have not been presented openly to the Japanese people, perhaps indicating that the leaders are not properly reflecting the dignity and the true humanity of the people that we can see in the way they are dealing with this horrible crisis with patience, kindness, helpfulness, hard work in the face of adversity, a true test of the human spirit.

Leaders should reflect the people, not the other way around. I think that overall, those considered to the be "common people" are often more hard-working, more patient, more honest, more straightforward, in fact better human beings by definition than their "leaders."

Something is very wrong with that picture and is part of the problem.

People should look to themselves and polish themselves up on all levels. It is unrealistic to expect that help let alone rescue is going to come from outside!! We have only ourselves and others of like minds upon whom to depend and to whom to turn in time of need.

[jorr lundstrom]

Yes, everything start and ends with oneself. Everyone must start on square number one,

ie here where we actually are. We have to put ourself in order before we attempt to

set anything right out there. And if enough people put themself right everything out

there will have to follow.:hug: