Snowden Explains Why The CIA Is On Instagram

The Central Intelligence Agency is using social media games beyond the confines of its already very active Twitter and Facebook accounts. Besides just revealing one of its former deputy directors was an extra in the latest episode of Game of Thrones, CIA director Gina Haspel recently announced that the CIA would be heading to Instagram in a growing attempt by the agency to mainstream its image.

From safety in Moscow, the whistleblower Edward Snowden, once a CIA and National Security Agency contractor, says that’s just the latest attempt by American intelligence to fix its image. 

In 2013 Snowden leaked a bulk of damning top-secret documents revealing a series of mass surveillance abuses that the CIA and the US Government claimed it was not doing.

“What's happened here is the intelligence agencies have drawn the wrong conclusions, at least from the public's perspective, from the backlash of 2013,” he said in the latest episode of Motherboard podcast CYBER. Snowden thinks while the revelations of bulk data collection turned public sentiment against American intelligence activities, the agencies themselves took away the wrong lesson. 

“And in the wake of doing that, right, this sort of damage control, they went: ‘Maybe the real story of 2013 isn't that we got caught breaking the law,” he said. 

“Instead, what we're gonna do is we're going to try to change the laws and be more flexible, more accommodating, so we can do what we want. And at the same time, what we really have here is a PR issue.”

He said for those exact reasons, these once clandestine agencies (the NSA was once known colloquially as the “No-Such-Agency" turned to social media. 

“They get Twitter accounts. Instagram accounts with puppies and everything like that, because they want to be friendly. They want to be on your side,” he said.

Ironically, the NSA famously had trouble recruiting new operators after the Snowden leaks, with young hackers and computer programming majors turning away from the signals intelligence agency. But, if an Instagram account helps the CIA, maybe the NSA will also use one. 

Motherboard

You Might Also Read:

Widepsread Campaign Hacking Instagram Accounts:

 

 

« A Microphchip That Can Stop Cyber Attacks
Israel Responds To A Cyber Attack With Bombs »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

Perimeter 81 / How to Select the Right ZTNA Solution

Perimeter 81 / How to Select the Right ZTNA Solution

Gartner insights into How to Select the Right ZTNA offering. Download this FREE report for a limited time only.

The PC Support Group

The PC Support Group

A partnership with The PC Support Group delivers improved productivity, reduced costs and protects your business through exceptional IT, telecoms and cybersecurity services.

Hotlava Systems

Hotlava Systems

HotLava network adapters enable today's powerful servers and workstations to deliver more productivity by reducing congestion at the network interface.

CyberArk Software

CyberArk Software

CyberArk is an established leader in privileged access management and offers the most complete set of Identity Security capabilities.

National Response Centre for Cyber Crime (NR3C)

National Response Centre for Cyber Crime (NR3C)

National Response Centre for Cyber Crime (NR3C) is a law enforcement agency in Pakistan dedicated to fighting cyber crime.

SecureDevice

SecureDevice

SecureDevice is a Danish IT Security company.

Mitek Systems

Mitek Systems

Mitek's global mobile capture and identity verification technology optimizes the digital user experience for thousands of financial services organizations.

NetKnights

NetKnights

NetKnights is an independent IT security company which offers services and products for strong authentication, identity management and encryption.

Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB)

Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB)

INAB is the national accreditation body for Ireland. The directory of members provides details of organisations offering certification services for ISO 27001.

GM Security Technologies

GM Security Technologies

GM Security Technologies provides leading managed security services of the highest quality to every type of individual and organization in Puerto Rico, Caribbean and Latin America.

BIND 4.0

BIND 4.0

Bind 4.0 is an acceleration program geared toward tech startups with solutions applied to Advanced Manufacturing, Smart Energy, Health Tech or Food Tech fields.

SecureData

SecureData

SecureData provide professional data recovery services, digital forensics, data recovery software and FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Validated hardware encrypted drives.

Sunartek Labs

Sunartek Labs

Sunartek are equipped with expert resources and advanced technology to identify cyber threats and prevent any breach, bypassing the security network of your organization.

RMRF Tech

RMRF Tech

RMRF is a team of cybersecurity engineers and penetration testers which specializes in the development of solutions for early cyber threat detection and prevention.

VectorRock

VectorRock

Save Your Business From Cyber Criminals. We specialize in uncovering cyber risks which threaten your organization and fixing them.

Datastream Cyber Insurance

Datastream Cyber Insurance

DataStream Cyber Insurance is designed to give SMB’s across the US greater confidence in the face of increasing cyber attacks against the small and medium business community.

WBM Technologies

WBM Technologies

WBM Technologies is a Western Canadian leader in the provision of outcomes-driven information technology solutions.

Pvotal Technologies

Pvotal Technologies

Pvotal Technologies engineer complex, automated processes aligned with best AIOps, BizDevOps, DevSecOps, CloudOps, and ITOps practices.