The NSA doesn't care much about hacking your PC, they hack routers

[thewayne]

Basically, the NSA doesn't want to watch communications on a computer-by-computer basis. They tap backbones, the connections where huge amounts of information flows between internet servers. They tap major ISPs. Your computer? Chump change. If they know what you're saying to other people, they don't really need to tap your computer. And the

Comments

[silveradept]

Or, if the NSA has secret rooms where they tap into the trunks, they don't even have to worry about routers, I suspect.

[thewayne]

Well, tapping trunks gives you access to internet backbones, but it doesn't give you access to internal network communications. That's where the back-doored routers come in to play. And once you're in the router, you're in the network, and can have fun compromising workstations if you want to.

[silveradept]

Ah, okay. So once you know where you want to clandestinely hack, hitting the routers is the best way to go.

[thewayne]

Yep. Pluck the low-hanging fruit, then go after the high value when you need to. To paraphrase Armand Du Plessis, better known as Cardinal Richelieu, said "Give me six lines written by a man and I will find cause to hang him." I also like his phrase "I don't have enemies, France has enemies."