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Comment by Bahamut | Hacker News Reader

I found this line interesting: "Six months since the investigation began, officials said Mr. Snowden had further covered his tracks by logging into classified systems using the passwords of other security agency employees, as well as by hacking firewalls installed to limit access to certain parts of the system."

On its face, this sounds unethical for someone who made his decision on morality. Has anything more been published about this aspect anywhere (rationales, details, etc.)?

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What, why?

Are you saying there's inherently something "immoral" about covering your tracks, using other passwords, or hacking firewalls? On what basis?

If the guy is already copying documents he's not allowed to have access to, what difference does it make using passwords he's not allowed to have access to?

Could "using passwords" be PR-speak for the su command?

Yes. IIRC, earlier stories said specifically "impersonating other users", not using other users' passwords.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/08/net-us-usa-securit...

"Snowden persuaded other NSA workers to give up passwords - sources"

To me the hilarious/horrifying thing is that if these guys with access to the most powerful spying apparatus in the world would simply give their passwords to a coworker, that well and truly means we cannot trust them with access to the most powerful spying apparatus in the world.

So if the intelligence community is lying about how he got access, it is an extremely stupid lie that makes them look like idiots. If they're telling the truth, then it clearly makes the case that their operation is a humongous liability and should be shut down. Either way that explanation/story is bad for the NSA.

>> "using the passwords of other security agency employees"

His actions probably put those people under investigation.

Leaving aside the fact that I applaud the actions Snowden took, in general if one's credentials are used in unapproved ways then one will face investigation, in any setting. When you have to use passwords, use good ones, and keep them secret.

Presumably, from your tone, you mean for something other than the egregious violations of the public trust that they were willing participants in?

You also have to consider the possibility that that is a lie. One of Snowden's comments was that many individuals had access to what he released (as in most standard NSA employees), discrediting that statement is in the governments best interest.

On its face, this sounds unethical

Meanwhile, on their face, comments by anonymous "officials" who depend on the intelligence communities for their livelihood are to be taken seriously? I mean really.

One story that came out was that he social engineered the passwords so that he could access more information before he blew the whistle.

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