OAKSTAR explained
OAKSTAR is a secret internet surveillance program of the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States. It was disclosed in 2013 as part of the leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
OAKSTAR is an umbrella program involving surveillance of telecommunications. It falls under the category of "Upstream collection", meaning that data is pulled directly from fiber-optic cables and top-level communications infrastructure.[1] [2] Upstream collection programs allow access to very high volumes of data, and most of the pre-selection is done by the providers themselves, before the data is passed on to the NSA.
The FY 2013 budget for OAKSTAR was $9.41 million.[3] OAKSTAR consists of the following SIGADs:
| Designation | Covername | Legal AuthoritySee Note | Key Targets | Type of Information collected | Remarks |
|---|
| US-3206 (PDDG:6T) | MONKEYROCKET | Executive Order 12333 | Counterterrorism in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia | DNI metadata and content | "Foreign access point," was expected to go online in spring 2012 |
| US-3217 (PDDG:MU) | SHIFTINGSHADOW | | Afghanistan communications: MTN Afghanistan, Roshan GSM Network, AWCC | DNR metadata and voice; "Timing Advances" and geolocation | "Foreign access point" |
| US-3230 (PDDG:0B) | ORANGECRUSH | | "To be determined" | Voice, fax, DNI, DNR, and metadata | "Foreign access point through PRIMECANE, and 3rd party partner", not online as of the time of source presentation. |
| US-3247 (PDDG:PJ) | YACHTSHOP | | Worldwide DNI Metadata | Worldwide DNI Metadata | "Access through BLUEANCHOR partner," contributor to MARINA |
| US-3251 | ORANGEBLOSSOM | | | | |
| US-3273 (PDDG:SK) | SILVERZEPHYR | Transit Authority and FAA | South, Central and Latin America | DNR Metadata, voice and fax; DNI content and metadata | "Network access point through STEELKNIGHT partner" |
| US-3277 | BLUEZEPHYR | | | | |
| US-3354 | COBALTFALCON | | | | | |
Note: SIGADs not otherwise designated are presumed to operate under the legal authority of Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act (FAA)Glossary
- DNI: Digital Network Intelligence[4]
- DNR: Dial Number Recognition [4]
- MARINA: An NSA Database of Internet metadata[5] [6]
- Timing advances: no explanation has been provided in the source material.
- Transit Authority: A legal authority that states communications that transit the United States are collectible, provided that both endpoints are foreign.
Notes and References
- Web site: NSA Documents Show United States Spied Brazilian Oil Giant . Fantástico . Fantástico . O Globo . 2013-09-08 . 2014-03-23 . March 11, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140311011818/http://g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2013/09/nsa-documents-show-united-states-spied-brazilian-oil-giant.html . dead . mdy-all .
- News: NSA slides explain the PRISM data-collection program . The Washington Post . The Washington Post . 2013-06-06 . 2014-03-23 . March 15, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140315231728/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-collection-documents/ . dead . mdy-all .
- News: NSA paying U.S. companies for access to communications networks . Craig Timberg, Barton Gellman . The Washington Post . 2013-08-30 . 2014-03-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328125616/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-paying-us-companies-for-access-to-communications-networks/2013/08/29/5641a4b6-10c2-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html . March 28, 2014 . dead . mdy-all .
- Web site: Map of the Day: Who the NSA Listens To . Kevin Drum . Mother Jones . 2013-06-08 . 2014-03-23 . April 27, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140427194851/http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/06/map-day-who-nsa-listens . dead . mdy-all .
- News: Newly declassified documents on phone records program released . Ellen Nakashima . The Washington Post . 2013-07-31 . 2014-03-23 . July 2, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140702052205/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/governments-secret-order-to-verizon-to-be-unveiled-at-senate-hearing/2013/07/31/233fdd3a-f9cf-11e2-a369-d1954abcb7e3_story.html . dead . mdy-all .
- News: U.S. surveillance architecture includes collection of revealing Internet, phone metadata . Barton Gellman . The Washington Post . 2013-06-16 . 2014-03-23 . March 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140319193547/http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-surveillance-architecture-includes-collection-of-revealing-internet-phone-metadata/2013/06/15/e9bf004a-d511-11e2-b05f-3ea3f0e7bb5a_print.html . dead . mdy-all .
