[parsimo2010]

We’ve seen other stories, Stuxnet in particular that implicate other countries like Israel. Anyone that thinks that the USA and Israel are spending money on cyber warfare but China and Russia are not is living in a fantasy world. Maybe some small countries like Andorra don’t have a cyber warfare division, but all the big countries do.

Everyone is being spied on. Perhaps the only distinction worth making is whether you’re being spied on by your own government in addition to foreign governments.

[ncmncm]

In fact, once the content and data are liberated, there is no reason to assume it is well-protected from criminal access. Personal facts that are not directly incriminating are often just as valuable for extortion. Those facts need not be about you, to affect you. They could be about a federal judge's brother.

As extortion is the central procedure of spycraft, people trained in its use by the government also have access to the "goods". Criminal intent is no bar to employment by Booz Allen, or by NSA or FBI proper, never mind Russian GRU or FSB or their Chinese counterparts.

Extortion works for anybody.

[newguy1234]

and not to mention for small time people, there are nefarious people who want to spy on you so they can do identity theft or similar crime to you. So even if you are one of those "I have nothing to hide" people, you still need to hide your personal information due to cyber crime that could be used to exploit you. For some people, it is almost laughable the amount of information they put out openly on social media.

[chapium]

Wait, are there people who think china doesn't do this!?