Further leaks have revealed an NSA project called XKeyscore that, with a few keystrokes, can give a data analyst access to nearly everything a user does on the Internet – from chat sessions to email to browsing habits.
The system requires an email because many behaviors online are completely anonymous and it is only via some sort of identifier — a username and domain — that the system can scour the database of collected Internet traffic and metadata.
As Snowden said to the Guardian on June 10, “I, sitting at my desk could wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant, to a federal judge or even the president, if I had a personal email.” XKeyscore is how it is done.
The system is available to NSA analysts and can be accessed without a warrant. According to training manuals produced in 2010, the system requires analysts to request data on certain individuals. The system then scans traffic beginning and terminating in the United States using keyword searches. The system can also search Facebook comments, as well as other social media data.
The data is not permanent. Because the system gathers billions of records a day, the database can store it for at most a few days. The NSA claims that these searches, which can pinpoint communications between people online and over the phone and find mention of certain terms and names in blog posts, emails, and other shared content, are completely audited and are aimed at overseas targets — although American nationals are often swept in during the intelligence gathering.
“XKeyscore is used as a part of NSA’s lawful foreign signals intelligence collection system,” said the NSA to the Guardian. “Allegations of widespread, unchecked analyst access to NSA collection data are simply not true.”
As published on http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/31/nsa-project-x-keyscore-collects-nearly-everything-you-do-on-the-internet/
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About Shailendra Nair
AI Generalist & Executive Tech Leader in Insurance & Benefits Tech. Driving growth, trust, and resilience from AIG to Marsh McLennan.
I am an AI Generalist and Executive Technology Leader with a career dedicated to reimagining how insurance and benefits ecosystems work in a digital first world. My expertise spans Insurance & Benefits Tech, digital transformation, and cybersecurity, with a proven ability to turn technology into both a growth engine and a resilience enabler.
I have worked with global leaders such as PepsiCo, Allianz, AIG, and Marsh McLennan, experiences that gave me a rare mix of perspectives across insurance carriers, broking, and benefits advisory. This combination allows me to design solutions that balance global standards, local compliance, and client expectations while driving measurable business value.
My strength lies in full stack insurance technology leadership, covering Property & Casualty, Life, and Benefits. I bring hands-on expertise in infrastructure, cloud, security, and enterprise architecture, combined with data platforms, AI automation, and digital ecosystems. Having led across this spectrum, I can translate complex technology into practical outcomes that deliver trust, scale, and innovation.
As an AI Generalist, I focus on impact:
• Building automation first operations that scale efficiently.
• Designing chatbots and intelligent assistants to empower employees and clients.
• Deploying AI-driven QA frameworks to improve speed and accuracy.
• Exploring agentic AI roles to support compliance and transformation.
My philosophy is simple: technology should reduce friction, inspire confidence, and accelerate growth. I design platforms that enhance sales, revenue, and client stickiness, proving that tech can directly enable business outcomes. At the same time, I remain deeply client centric a solution enabler who thinks out of the box to solve real challenges and deliver measurable ROI.
🌍 What excites me most is reimagining benefits ecosystems for the future of work. Employees demand seamless digital first experiences, organizations need efficiency, and regulators require trust and security. My mission is to build ecosystems that are secure, resilient, innovative, and human focused.
The opinion expressed here or re- blogged are my personal opinion and views and has no relation to any organization , group or people.
::: Shailendra Nair ::: 