See: James Bamford interviews Edward Snowden (Wired, link): Long report including countering cyber attacks: "When it detected an attack, MonsterMind would automatically block it from entering the country - a “kill” in cyber terminology. Programs
See: James Bamford interviews Edward Snowden (Wired, link): Long report including countering cyber attacks:
“When it detected an attack, MonsterMind would automatically block it from entering the country – a “kill” in cyber terminology.
Programs like this had existed for decades, but MonsterMind software would add a unique new capability: Instead of simply detecting and killing the malware at the point of entry, MonsterMind would automatically fire back, with no human involvement. That’s a problem, Snowden says, because the initial attacks are often routed through computers in innocent third countries. “These attacks can be spoofed,””
And see: Press Release: Courage letters being delivered to governments call for the safe protection of Edward Snowden (Courage, link)
Also: GCHQ: OPA~TAS Covert Mobile Phones Policy (pdf)