BitTorrent and P2P Banned in Antartica
Employees of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) received a security alert today, warning them about the threats that BitTorrent and other P2P applications pose to them and the USAP. Aside from eating up precious bandwidth, these applications are bound to install viruses and keystroke loggers.
“This is why we shouldn’t use P2P in Antarctica,” an USAP employee wrote us, adding “The gist I got from it was ‘because you are all too dumb to use a computer correctly.’ At least the plans for my secret uranium mine won’t leak out while I’m down here freezing my ass off.”
Indeed, P2P applications are not the real threat, its users are. If someone is stupid enough to put confidential information in their shared folder, he or she is likely to make even worse mistakes.
Below we pasted the full and uncensored security alert that was sent out to the USAP employees earlier today.
Information Security Awareness Monthly Topic: P2P, the USAP, and you
Imagine this scenario. A USAP participant on the Ice wants to get a copy of a popular new game. The user decides to download a copy from Morpheus, which another user has uploaded in the form of a ZIP file. The user eats up a bunch of satellite bandwidth by downloading this file. Then, he opens up the ZIP file and runs the Setup.exe program to install the game. However, the .exe file doesn’t invoke a setup routine. Instead, it’s a virus that starts propagating itself on the network. Or perhaps it installs the game, but it also secretly installs keystroke capturing software that e-mails keystrokes. Do those examples sound far-fetched? In fact, they are both very real threats to the USAP and to your personal information.
From the USAP Enterprise Rules of Behavior, “Use of USAP information resources to participate in Internet-based gaming, peer to peer networking, or streaming media usage activities is prohibited”.
There are many different Peer-to-Peer (P2P) applications: BitTorrent, LimeWire, Gnutella, and KaZaa to name a few more popular ones. Some are used to download legitimate software and media, some illegitimate. None of them are permitted on the USAP enterprise network for both bandwidth and security concerns. P2P applications have the potential to overwhelm the internet connections on the Ice and inadvertently bring malicious software and traffic into the network.
A recent article in ComputerWorld magazine included the following highlights. “Details about a U.S. Secret Service safe house for the First Family — to be used in a national emergency — were found to have leaked out on a LimeWire file-sharing network recently “ … “ Also unearthed on LimeWire networks in recent days were presidential motorcade routes and a sensitive but unclassified document listing details on every nuclear facility in the country.” The leaks likely came from a White House employee’s computer that was running LimeWire to download music, and the software ended up sharing out lots of other documents that were on the user’s system.
While no one on the USAP network should have presidential safe houses lists on their desktop, it shows how easily otherwise sensitive files can be made available to the P2P networks and the rest of the world.
In short, while on the USAP network be sure to disable or uninstall P2P clients from your machine, or to be safe just never use them in the first place.
Dennis L Gitt
Director, Information Technology and Communications
The internet is a “peer to peer” application, so I suppose they might as well just disconnect the entire data connection. It’s always funny to see Terms of Service that are so poorly written that they cover the entire known universe of legitimate activity.
Incidentally, if there’s anyone down in Antarctica who doesn’t want to have their internet usage unilaterally cripped by Mr. Gitt and his crew of “the answer is now” IT folks, email me and we’ll provide free VPN service for you. That way it’s all just HTTPS and Mr. Gitt can do more productive things with his time than lecturing about technologies he clearly doesn’t understand.
Perhaps he can read an “internets for dummies” book?
Funny shit.
[...] unhappy USAP employee wrote FreakBits “The gist I got from it was ‘because you are all too dumb to use a computer [...]
[...] one area: employees of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) were sent an alert that they need to stop using all P2P programs. The “scenarios” described in the note are the same ones that entertainment industry [...]
[...] one area: employees of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) were sent an alert that they need to stop using all P2P programs. The "scenarios" described in the note are the same ones that entertainment industry lobbying group [...]
[...] chances are you are an employee of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). If so – and according to the letter recently sent by the USAP to its employees – you should not be using any P2P or BitTorrent [...]
I had personal data leaked through P2P.
Ban it until security is no more a concern in those applications.
Look like the anartica dude is having connection issues, maybe we should shut off his phone too in case he leaks more mission critical ice information.
What? Torrentfreak.com trying to escape the lame estigma changing name to freakbits.com? It’s like Lady MacBeth trying to wash the taintred blood off her hands.
You guys are cheapo, no wordpress skin can make you “kewl” or hide your hollowness.
BTW, it’s freezing cold in Antartica…
Read the about page :)
It’s great to hear that you value all the work we put into it, really appreciate that.
@deepfreezer get a life. I bet you’re one of those guys who goes through torrent sites leaving comments like, “Fag!”, “Why did you upload this?” and “You guys are all idiots.” Find something productive to do, you sad individual.
[...] unhappy USAP employee wrote FreakBits “The gist I got from it was ‘because you are all too dumb to use a computer [...]
These seem as though they are quite legitimate concerns especially regarding the bandwidth. As someone who has had the dubious pleasure of using a sat IP connection, I am aware of how easily they can be saturated. In a place where the connection is the only means of communication for a large group of people, the banning of torrent and large-bandwidth consuming connections for other than official purposes makes perfect sense.
Let alone the opportunities for inadvertently enabling malicious code.
[...] chances are you are an employee of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). If so – and according to the letter recently sent by the USAP to its employees – you should not be using any P2P or BitTorrent [...]
“BitTorrent and P2P Banned in Antartica (sp)”
Antarctica***
[...] chances are you are an employee of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). If so – and according to the letter recently sent by the USAP to its employees – you should not be using any P2P or BitTorrent [...]
[...] l’U.S. Antarctic Program ha vietato l’utilizzo dei protocolli di file sharing. Nel comunicato ufficiale viene dichiarato che spesso i software come BitTorrent, LimeWire, KaZaa ecc… vengono [...]
[...] is why we shouldn’t use P2P in Antarctica,” said a USAP employee to FreakBits. “The gist I got from it was ‘because you are all too dumb to use a computer correctly.’ At [...]
[...] banned in anatartica BitTorrent and P2P Banned in Antartica | FreakBits WTF?there is no govt in that freezer land.how can they?. __________________ All truth passes [...]
[...] We Thought China Was Strict With Technology United States has banned all form of torrent and peer-to-peer file sharing in Antarctica. Of all places that should be allowed to download music, movies and have endless access to entertainment it is those living in Antarctica. Geez. (freak bits . . .) [...]
Fuck that VPN shit. Their satellite net is paid for by taxpayers. They can do their fucking jobs and bootleg movies on their own dime when they get home.
Why are so many of you retards? “OMG! there is no govt in antarctica how can they ban P2P”
Who the fuck provides the net down there in the first place you fuckwits? Comcast? No. They are US Govt. employees on a US Govt network. They are not paying some ISP. This is no different than if they worked in a govt office in D.C. Well, it’s way fucking colder.
[...] semana o Programa Antárctico dos Estados Unidos (USAP) enviou um alerta de segurança aos seus funcionários avisando-os que precisam de parar de usar programas de BitTorrent e outras [...]
I’m okay with them downloading a game or album on occasion. It’s not like they can walk down to the nearest best buy and pick up a copy.
[...] chances are you are an employee of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). If so – and according to the letter recently sent by the USAP to its employees – you should not be using any P2P or BitTorrent [...]
[...] podaje serwis FreakBits, wczoraj uczestnicy Ameryka?skiego Programu Antarktycznego (USAP) otrzymali wiadomo?? [...]