The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America

Excellent rear . Author see's it as it was.

This is the latest book by James Bamford about what is usually called the "super secret" National Security Agency (NSA). Bamford has established himself as the public chronicler of the NSA and has done some impressive reporting on an agency famous for its almost impenetrable secrecy.First it should be noted that much of the secrecy that envelopes NSA is absolutely justified. The intelligence cliché' of `protecting sources and methods' has real meaning within the Signals Intelligence Directorate (SID) of the agency. The ability to collect and process electronic signals carrying important information is actually quite fragile and can be easily lost through inadvertent or ill-considered disclosure. Such losses have occurred far too often and do adversely affect U.S. National Security.That being said it is also true that the blanket of secrecy can also be used to conceal incompetence, ill-legal activities, and enormous waste. This is why congressional and executive branch oversight are so important in keeping the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) honest. Unfortunately, NSA is a `technical' collection agency which means that the eyes of its nominal monitors tend to glaze over when its programs are discussed in any detail. This situation was exacerbated by NSA's former director General Hayden who was able to walk that thin line between telling congress what it wanted to hear and avoiding any real involvement in NSA operations.This is why Bamford's books in general and this latest one in particular are so important. He is not accurate in every thing he reports about NSA nor do his informants understand all of the technical issues. Yet overall this book is a service to the cause of good government and raises a host of red flags that ought to be looked into by congress.In this book he discusses three inter-related issues: first, there is the failure of NSA, CIA and the FBI to share vital information prior to 9/11 and their collective failures to effectively analyze available data; second, there is NSA's reluctant but undoubted subversion of Constitutional rights of privacy accorded to all in the U.S. both citizens and visitors; and finally there is the festering problem of the use of contractors for core missions by all of the agencies of the IC and the general haze of corruption hanging over all government contracting processes. NSA appears to have some particularly serious issues in this regard.When any government or part of government operates behind a curtain secrecy with ineffective oversight it is an invitation to corruption and abuse of power. Bamford has done his best to shine a light on this aspect of NSA.

Same author as "The Puzzle Palace". I'm only part way through, but totally captivated. I can only wonder how Mr. Bamford acquires all of the inside info he reveals. Probably in a way similar to Tom Clancy.Early on in the book he reveals the NAME of the government employee who prevented passing on the names of some of the 911 terrorists to State. Had State received these names, at least some of the terrorists would likely have been stopped attempting to enter the country. Obviously, that is history - a 'could-have-been'. How many future attempts await the USA???????

James Bamford has written a fascinating account of the National Security Agency and the technology and techniques employed by the NSA pre- and post-9/11. At times the book reads like a novel and is incredibly engaging. At other points, the book becomes tedious as the reader becomes lost in discussion of terabytes, gigabytes, and all the various bytes. The biggest flaw in Bamford's book though isn't the writing, it is his personal biases that shine through from page 1 through the end. Bamford clearly finds no credibility in the arguments for the Terrorist Surveillance Program -- it seems ultimately even with the version John Ashcroft, Robert Mueller, Jim Comey, and Jack Goldsmith signed off on -- and other NSA programs. Examples of his bias shining through: "Nor did he [Goldsmith] share their fever for turning the presidency into a monarchy" p. 279; and "At a time when the NSA needed a Jim Comey or a Bob Mueller, it had only a three-star sycophant unwilling to protect the agency from the destructive forces of Cheney and Addington" p. 289. Or there is his disingenuous description of officials who had served in the Bush administration challenging its assertions. He talks about Richard Clarke and Rand Beers, the former a very public critic of the Bush administration, and the latter, an advisor to Senator Kerry in 2004 campaign. Then there are times when he contradicts himself talking about how speed was lost by the system while writing this against a backdrop in which he considers much of what the NSA is doing to be lawless.None of this should stop you from picking up this fascinating read. But unlike other books in the similar broad genre of foreign policy/national security (I think of Ben Wittes Law and the Long War or Thomas Ricks' Fiasco) be on alert that Bamford lacks the same sort of good objective reporting of such fine writers.

I am in the security assurance field and this is a must read for everyone. The magnitude of technology's inroads into daily life, and the ability to cheaply store ALL information in the era of Big Data should make all of us pause and ponder how the trend plays out. It is a question that should concern all people who care about privacy and protection of those rights.The book is impeccably researched and while it finishes in 2010, it is relevant since this is the information we see in today's headlines!I will be purchasing Shadow Factory II in the near future.

perfetto , praticamente libro nuovo!!!!e imballato con cura

Muchas veces en las noticias oímos cosas sobre espionaje y vigilancia y nos alarmamos, pero al cabo de unos días ya nos hemos olvidado. El libro explica la evolución del espionaje y vigilancia a los propios ciudadanos de EEUU y el porqué de algunas cosas que hemos visto después. Puede parecer un poco conspiranóico, pero casi todo es contrastable con información pública.

I cannot authoritatively assert what makes this book relevant; except to indicate its substantiation of the agency behind the leaks of Edward Snowden.I had already known exactly what was contained inside these pages before reading it, because it is only logical. Our technological society is being monitored whole-cloth by a titan surveillance apparatus with a global scope. Many of those whom I discuss these topics with, insist quite earnestly that 'the Shadow Factory' is not concerned with a democratic, law abiding citizen such as myself. They assemble justification that it is for our protection that the NSA exists and functions in a capacity, in which we may extract safety for ourselves and others: a desirable outcome.This aside, we all should know that within the light, there is a strong possibility of emerging darkness. With every sunrise there is a promise of a sunset. Even in the ambiguous account of 'the Bible' -feel as you may about it- we observe Lucifer, an angel, falling from grace to become Satan. I have no doubt at all that this is the potential for our protectorate, the National Security Agency, regardless of its current image or function. James Bamford is in himself a fairly shadowy figure, kept on the periphery of mainstream discussion: I only bought this book because I watch 'Democracy Now' (an online independent news source). It stands to logic that Bamford is not referenced frequently these days, or turned to popular account as an authority, solely because he speaks in the interest of us, the people.I did not particularly enjoy the beginning chapters of "The Shadow Factory". The substance of the start of this book, is focused narrowly in its displaying the security failures preventing the attacks on September 11 2001. It turns out, that these attacks were conducted and planned in close proximity to the NSA facilities and even literally under the observance of various law enforcement authorities (who detected the activities, but conveniently dropped the ball). It should be old news by now the literal impotency in stopping the largest single act of terror in the history of modern society.I now have questions. What is to become of our advanced industrial society, we the participants of the 'free world'? I figure if you are reading this, you should know a portion of reality, in its bearing in actual fact. Surely we are in grave danger, though I have conducted many thought experiments as to why and literally, it is not because of terrorism. In my opinion we need to engage ourselves in formulating societal structures into function of just and fair law; international or otherwise, socialized profit, a direct reflection of the needs of the whole. I say this for no other intent than practical measurement to ensure species survival, which is, at this point, certainly not guaranteed.If the NSA gains the wrong direction, which it may have already, then nothing will allow its correction and we will no longer be able to survive as ourselves in freedom, alive or not.

Extremely well researched. Gives credence to the 'Big Brother' tag the States & the UK have been labelled with. Bamford's mastery as a narrator also comes handy. If you like this very niche segment of non-fiction literature, do read this.Thank you for reading this review!

James Bamford bleibt seinem Genre treu. Er erzählt dabei sehr detailreich, spannend und interessant über die nachrichtendienstlichen Hintergründe von 9/11 sowie von den folgenden (Fehl-?)Entwicklungen (das Hochfahren der "warrant less eavesdroppings", die Überwachung des Internetverkehrs von amerikanischer Seite aus sowie die geschäftlichen Verwicklungen von diversen Anbietern von Überwachungssoftware). Persönlich gefielen mir vor allem der erste Teil, in dem Bamford einige Hintergründe von 9/11 und die nicht beachteten Nachrichtendaten beschreibt, sowie die Entwicklungen beim Überwachen des Internets durch Firmen wie Narus und Verint. Dies war vor allem für mich interessant, da ich beruflich u.a. auch mit Netzwerksicherheitsthemen zu tun habe.Einige Kapitel und Abschnitte sind vielleicht etwas trocken, aber das ist wohl der Tatsache zuzuschreiben, dass Bamford seine Aussagen unterlegt - wenn auch oft mit anonymen Quellen.Für Leute, die sich für die Thematik interessieren, ein durchaus lesenswertes Buch.