PRISM – Is The Internet a Safe Place?
PRISM, a term that has shaken the very foundations of trust which people have in their electronic devices and has caused multibillion dollar companies such as Google, Apple and Microsoft, Inc to lose their aura of reliability. The notion of it being for America’s national interest and the safety of its citizens is being debated. However, the PRISM programme’s data has helped avert dangerous situations and if extended to other countries and their citizens, the programme can possibly provide a great boost in the battle against terrorism.
In today’s world 1.08 billion people use smartphones to either access the internet, browse or other app related activities. Each of these applications stores their personal data such as email ids, passwords and date of birth. The operating systems even track your location for your convenience through applications which provide you real time updates for transport and movie timings. All of which have allegedly released their records to the National Security Agency (NSA).. However, behind this veneer of convenience lies PRISM, a surveillance programme which records data from all of the aforementioned platforms. It is operated under the supervision of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court; pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The programme was set up by the Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) act established right after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and The Protect America Act established in 2007. The lay man was oblivious to the programme until 6th June 2013, when Edward Snowden an ex CIA employee and NSA contractor exposed some classified documents. Snowden revealed multiple PowerPoint slides which provided an explanation as to what extent the programme monitored communication and data. The documents identified several technology companies as participants in the PRISM Programme, including: Microsoft, Inc, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, Youtube, Skype, AOL and Apple as companies involved in the programme. The speaker's notes in the briefing document reviewed by The Washington Post indicated that "98 percent of PRISM production is based on Yahoo, Google and Microsoft."
Much of the world's electronic communications pass through the United States, because electronic communications data tend to follow the least expensive route rather than the most physically direct route and the bulk of the world's internet infrastructure is based in the United States. Hence, these lines provide United States intelligence analysts with opportunities for intercepting the communications of foreign targets as their electronic data pass into or through the United States.
In the USA, government officials including President Barack Obama have supported the programme, claiming that it has helped avert numerous terrorist attacks on US soil. They have cited examples of Najibullah Zazi and David Headley. Senator John McCain is of the view that “We passed the Patriot Act. We passed specific provisions of the act that allowed for this program to take place, to be enacted in operation."
Senator Mark Udall said "I don't think the American public knows the extent or knew the extent to which they were being surveilled and their data was being collected." "I think we ought to reopen the Patriot Act and put some limits on the amount of data that the National Security (Agency) is collecting," "It ought to remain sacred, and there's got to be a balance here. That is what I'm aiming for. Let's have the debate, let's be transparent and let's open this up."
The New York Times laments that "for years, members of Congress ignored evidence that domestic intelligence-gathering had grown beyond their control, and, even now, few seem disturbed to learn that every detail about the public's calling and texting habits now reside in a N.S.A. database." According to The Washington Post, the intelligence analysts search PRISM data using terms intended to identify suspicious communications of targets whom the analysts suspect with at least 51 percent confidence to not be United States citizens, but in the process, communication data of some United States citizens are also collected unintentionally. Training materials for analysts tell them that while they should periodically report such accidental collection of non-foreign United States data, "it's nothing to worry about."
The PRISM programme has provided the US with the tools to carry out these attacks. It has provided them with a map of the cyber infrastructure of the world which entails vulnerabilities of other countries. In a day and age where the internet dominates all sectors, cyber attacks can be both immediate and devastating. They can disrupt communication systems, disable national infrastructure, or, as in the case of the Stuxnet virus – disrupt and sabotage nuclear reactors. Hence, the threat of cyber warfare is one that is real and lethal. All of this mapping of vulnerabilities and keeping them secret for an offensive and these pre-targeted, ready to unleash cyber weapons are a worrisome prospect for the world. Therefore, the conception of PRISM in the world is quite contrary to the general “it’s nothing to worry about” idea in the US. .
Arguably, the United States of America is pursuing Cyber Espionage. The PRISM programme was set up BY the US Government FOR American national interests. Therefore, the programme spies on and gains potentially dangerous data of other countries while providing zero protection for their citizens. However, if the data was to be shared between the participating countries, perhaps then, the PRISM programme would not be seen as a bane but a boon for the world against terrorism as it would benefit a larger population. After all, the programme was established to fight it and the USA is by far the most popular face of anti-terrorism worldwide. Countries such as India have borrowed from it and are in the process of setting up their own cyber surveillance system – CMS (Central Monitoring System).
The PRISM programme has spied on and collected data from all parts of the world including America. It has provided them with the vulnerabilities of other countries and the tools to exploit those vulnerabilities. However, the PRISM programme has been instrumental in averting terrorist attacks on US soil and can be used as a strong weapon in the battle against terrorism being waged by the United States and its allies. Although, that is only possible if the data is shared amongst the participating countries. The programme has changed the perception of the internet and has shaken the very foundations of trust which people have in the internet and their electronic devices.
