In 1997, the National Security Agency constructed a cyber-warfare intelligence unit which became active in 1998. However by 2000, it was named the Office of Tailored Access Operations (TAO). TAO's headquarters are termed the Remote Operations Center (ROC) and are based at the NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland.

A document viewed by SPIEGEL resembling a product catalog reveals that an NSA division called ANT has burrowed its way into nearly all the security architecture made by the major players in the industry--including American global market leader Cisco and its Chinese competitor Huawei, but also producers of mass-market goods, such as US computer-maker Dell.

In 2013, with the release of Edward Snowden's files to The Guardian, the unit is described as having software templates used to tap common people's networks, hardware, and common security such as firewalls, routers and vendor lines. The NSA ANT catalog is a 50-page classified document listing technology available to the United States National Security Agency (NSA) Tailored Access Operations (TAO) by the Advanced Network Technology (ANT) Division to aid in cyber surveillance. Most devices are described as already operational and available to US nationals and members of the Five Eyes alliance.

Just say the Nine Eyes as the Dutch have been part of the intrusions, hacking for two decades. The Western Intelligence Union is stronger than our political leadership in Brussels who have been Blitzed by an aging war hawk, Joe Biden.

h/t Cat Machine Gun Preacher: Slava Ukraini!

'Sapere aude'