However, many media resources are reporting that the FBI appears to have a secret surveillance plan in place that involves multiple aircrafts and proxy companies. Although the government agency did admit to using similar technology during the 2015 Baltimore riots, there is some evidence that suggests they are have been putting regular surveillance flights into action over numerous cities.
Additionally, their usage of proxy companies makes it even more difficult to determine whether or not the FBI is actually looking out for the best interests of the American people. It also brings up questions about whether or not any of these proxy companies are more than just a front for air-based surveillance.
Examining the Evidence
According to the Associated Press, there are more than 100 planes that were added into the 2009 federal budget, and at least 50 of these can be traced directly back to the FBI. This might not seem quite so ominous if it was not for the fact that each member of the FBI’s surveillance fleet appears to have been registered under the name of a non-existent entity, also known as a proxy company. In other words, the FBI was apparently trying to keep people from being aware that these planes are used primarily for surveillance purposes.
Journalists from the Associated Press followed a long paper trail to find out where these planes are being deployed, and they found something shocking: since April 2015, there have been at least 100 flights in a wide variety of places, ranging from urban to rural areas. In the past, the FBI did have planes available to help their ongoing surveillance, but their previous aircraft fleet was not nearly as high-tech as the latest version.
Now, the FBI has the ability to easily collect data from the sky by utilizing high-tech cameras that have been added to each plane. Additionally, the Associated Press’s sources indicated that at least a few of these planes feature cellphone tracking technology.
What Does This Mean for Personal Privacy?
At the current time, there is nothing more than speculation to explain why the FBI is using such an advanced type of aircraft for surveillance. Due to this, it is impossible to know whether or not they are collecting random bits of information about anyone nearby or if they are programmed to specifically target someone who is a potential threat to national security.
Everyone should be aware of the possibility that their Internet connection may be less secure than they think, especially if any of these aircraft are equipped with Internet detection or hacking technology. The FBI has stated they are only looking for, “targeted individuals”, however, that turned into a mass surveillance operation of the American people. Privacy and security have now become part of the fabric of Internet life.
To help avoid data breaches and the problems that can be caused online viruses, it will be imperative to make sure that you take proper security measures.
Trend Micro is a pioneer of global cloud based threat intelligence, and they have been utilizing their threat protection network since 2008 to help businesses and individuals avoid issues such as viruses and Trojan horses. Rik Ferguson, the Vice President of Security Research, discusses security threats and intelligence in the ‘Size Matters’ video that is located on Trend Micro’s website.
“The security industry is in a unique position. Not only is the amount of data we need to protect increasing, the amount that we need to analyze is staggering. If the volume of threat continues to increase at the same rate, we’ll see 230 million unique threats in 2015 alone. Your computer will need to be aware of 26,000 new threats every hour just to stay protected.”
This means that remaining up-to-date is more than just a good idea; it’s actually a question of robust security intelligence. In other words, if you do not take advantage of the security intelligence that can be provided by proven Internet threat research and security platforms, your personal and business data will be left exposed. Unfortunately, this will make your data ripe for the picking for everyone from cybercriminals to the FBI.
What is the FBI’s Response to Media Reports?
A representative from the FBI told CNN that there is not actually a secret surveillance program. This does not mean that they do not have any planes, however. In fact, the representative admitted that the FBI does have surveillance aircraft, but he thinks the word “secret” is not accurate. During his CNN interview, the senior law enforcement official indicated that it has never been kept a secret that the FBI uses these surveillance tactics, but he did state that keeping all of the details about them under wraps is imperative for security reasons.
Unfortunately, the media connection between these surveillance flights and any proven risks to each individual’s cellphone and Internet privacy is tenuous at best, so it is much more difficult to ascertain the facts about this potential aspect of the FBI’s surveillance program.
Despite this, it is still never wise for people to fool themselves into believing that they are fully protected by simply hiding behind a proxy server. After all, if this was the case, no one would ever get arrested for online piracy. The FBI has also used online surveillance to monitor the actions of individuals who are believed to be involved with terrorist activities. Therefore, everyone needs to be more careful about their level of online protection and about using their computer or smartphone to do anything that they would not want to become public knowledge.
