How intelligence agencies (like the NSA) get their data to spy on people? How are they able to get private data that are protected and encrypted?
In: Technology
The answer is more complicated than just “companies sell your data”. Here are the main answer:
0-days: These are critical vulnerabilities within systems that remain undisclosed, even to the developers themselves. A prime example of a 0-day is the ability to gain unrestricted access to any Facebook account you want, with almost no risk of being caught if you know what you’re doing (assuming you have the knowledge to discover such vulnerability).
Nowadays, many 0-days are bought and sold, their value depending on their capabilities and limitations, often fetching [millions of dollars](https://zerodium.com/program.html). Addressing the question, entities like the NSA utilize these 0-days (either through purchase or specialized cybersecurity research teams) to establish persistent access to numerous systems, including Google and various software platforms. It’s not just the NSA; but almost all government agencies worldwide do the same.
You can [learn more](https://www.wired.com/2013/10/nsa-hacked-yahoo-google-cables/) about how NSA use these vulnerabilites to penetrate any system they want by looking at Snowden leaks from 2013.
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