U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees work on the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) operational watch floor where they monitor, track, and investigate cyber incidents.
The Department of Homeland Security is watching YOU (and me, too).
If you are a blogger, or play on the Social Network, the DHS is monitoring the appearance of key words to trigger investigations of terrorist or other anti government postings.
How does it work? To start with there are hundreds of words which draw DHS attention… words which I guarantee you have used at some time or another.
RT.com gives this description of how it could happen to you:
So, you’ve just come back from a beach holiday in Mexico and posted about it on your blog. Or maybe you’ve tweeted about skiing lessons? Updated your status, saying you’re stuck home with food poisoning?
All those things will tweak the DHS antennae, according to a manual published by the agency. The Analyst’s Desktop Binder, used by agency employees at their National Operations Center to identify “media reports that reflect adversely on DHS and response activities,” includes hundreds of words that set off Big Brother’s silent alarms.
Department chiefs were forced to release the manual following a House hearing over documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. It revealed how analysts monitor social networks and media organizations for comments that “reflect adversely” on the government.
And what are the words, pray tell. Here they are in a graphic format so they don’t call attention to themselves as text:
List of words used by the National Operations Center to monitor social media (taken from the DHS Analyst’s Desktop Binder)
Any words you use in there? That’s what I thought.
Big Brother is Reading You!