Court Briefly Returns NSA Surveillance Program

nsa05232015getty.jpg?itok=vFc9WZB-

A US federal court has made an order that the National Security Agency can resume the bulk collection of American’s phone records for roughly five months as the program is phased out.

Under the recent law aimed at ending the surveillance program, the USA Freedom Act, the government has a six-month transition period in which to continue collecting phone records.
In an order published by National Journal, a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge said that the program could continue for the remainder of that transition period.

“This application presents the question whether the recently-enacted USA FREEDOM Act, in amending Title V of FISA, ended the bulk collection of telephone metadata,” Judge Michael W. Mosman wrote.

“The short answer is yes. But in doing so, Congress deliberately carved out a 180-day period following the date of enactment in which such collection was specifically authorized.”

The ruling was in response to a government request to continue the program.

“The government respectfully submits that it may seek and this court may issue an order for the bulk production of tangible things,” the Justice Department said in a memo less than an hour after the USA Freedom Act was signed into law earlier this month.

The Justice Department and the office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed the resumption of the metadata program in a statement but noted that it moves forward for the remaining transition period under new restrictions instituted in 2014 after a push by President Obama.

"During the transition period, absent a true emergency, telephony metadata can only be queried after a judicial finding that there is a reasonable, articulable suspicion that the selection term is associated with an approved international terrorist organization," the statement says. "In addition, the query results must be limited to metadata within two hops of the selection term instead of three."

The American Civil Liberties Union indicated it would push back against the ruling. “Neither the statute nor the Constitution permits the government to subject millions of innocent people to this kind of intrusive surveillance," said Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer. "We intend to ask the Second Circuit to prohibit the surveillance and to order the NSA to purge the records it's already collected."

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, in consort with FreedomWorks, briefed the surveillance court on concerns raised by the government’s application to continue the program. Under the new law, the court will have a panel of experts to consult on controversial privacy cases — but that body hasn’t been created yet.

The passage of the USA Freedom Act marked the zenith of a debate over the program sparked by revelations about its existence and scope from leaker Edward Snowden.
The Hill: http://bit.ly/1JBl1qP

« Europol Tackles Cybercrime Ring
Merkel Bugged While Pondering Greece Crisis »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Practice Labs

Practice Labs

Practice Labs is an IT competency hub, where live-lab environments give access to real equipment for hands-on practice of essential cybersecurity skills.

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO is the market leader in HPE Non-Stop Security, Risk Management and Compliance.

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

MIRACL

MIRACL

MIRACL provides the world’s only single step Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which can replace passwords on 100% of mobiles, desktops or even Smart TVs.

Resecurity

Resecurity

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence.

Cato Networks

Cato Networks

Cato connects your branch locations, physical and cloud datacenters, and mobile users into a secure and optimized global network in the cloud.

Orange Cyberdefense

Orange Cyberdefense

Orange Cyberdefense is the expert cybersecurity business unit of the Orange Group, providing managed security, managed threat detection & response services to organizations around the globe.

CyberPilot

CyberPilot

CyberPilot ApS is a Danish cybersecurity company. We work with all types of companies and organisations, both large and small, who want to achieve effective cybersecurity.

Referentia

Referentia

Referentia leads the development of critical infrastructure solutions that benefit society, including cyber security and network performance management.

RunSafe Security

RunSafe Security

RunSafe Security is the pioneer of a patented cyberhardening transformation process designed to disrupt attackers and protect vulnerable embedded systems and devices.

e-Crime Bureau

e-Crime Bureau

e-Crime Bureau is a specialized company offering cyber/computer forensics, cyber security consulting services, forensic audit and investigations services and training to clients across Africa.

Communications Authority of Kenya

Communications Authority of Kenya

The Authority is responsible for facilitating the development of the information and communications sectors including; broadcasting, telecommunications, electronic commerce and cybersecurity.

XM Cyber

XM Cyber

XM Cyber is a leading hybrid cloud security company that’s changing the way innovative organizations approach cyber risk.

GK8

GK8

GK8 is a cyber security company that offers a high security custodian technology for managing and safeguarding digital assets. Secure, Compliant and Practical.

Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC)

Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC)

The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre is part of the national roll out of Cyber Resilience Centres in the UK which began in 2019.

Incognia

Incognia

Incognia have created a ubiquitous private identity based on location behavior, that enables a personalized frictionless experience with mobile apps and connected devices.

Cyberplc

Cyberplc

Cyberplc is a global cybersecurity consulting firm providing services to government, the public sector and enterprises.

Vali Cyber

Vali Cyber

Vali Cyber was founded in 2020 with the mission of addressing the specific cybersecurity needs of Linux.

Cytek

Cytek

Cytek is a leading provider of cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance for dental practices and other industries.

Accelerynt

Accelerynt

Accelerynt was founded with a singular purpose: help teams like yours build cybersecurity resilience.

Dotsquares

Dotsquares

Dotsquares leverage the latest web and mobile technologies to build, grow and support your business.