Narus Inc. was a
software company and
vendor of
big data
Though used sometimes loosely partly because of a lack of formal definition, the interpretation that seems to best describe Big data is the one associated with large body of information that we could not comprehend when used only in smaller am ...
analytics
Analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data. It also entails applying data patterns toward effective decision-making. It ...
for
cybersecurity
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, t ...
.
History
In 1997, Ori Cohen, Vice President of Business and Technology Development for
VDONet, founded Narus with Stas Khirman in
Israel. Presently, they are employed with
Deutsche Telekom AG
Deutsche Telekom AG (; short form often just Telekom, DTAG or DT; stylised as ·T·) is a German telecommunications company that is headquartered in Bonn and is the largest telecommunications provider in Europe by revenue. Deutsche Telekom was ...
and are not members of Narus' Executive Team. In 2010, Narus became a subsidiary of
Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and produc ...
, located in
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale () is a city located in the Santa Clara Valley in northwest Santa Clara County in the U.S. state of California.
Sunnyvale lies along the historic El Camino Real and Highway 101 and is bordered by portions of San Jose to the nort ...
. In 2015, Narus was sold to
Symantec Symantec may refer to:
*An American consumer software company now known as Gen Digital Inc.
*A brand of enterprise security software purchased by Broadcom Inc.
Broadcom Inc. is an American designer, developer, manufacturer and global supplier ...
.
Management
In 2004, Narus employed former Deputy Director of the
National Security Agency,
William Crowell as a director. From the Press Release announcing this:
Narus Software
Narus software primarily captures various
computer network traffic in
real-time
Real-time or real time describes various operations in computing or other processes that must guarantee response times within a specified time (deadline), usually a relatively short time. A real-time process is generally one that happens in defined ...
and analyzes results.
Before
9/11
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
Narus built
carrier-grade In telecommunication, a "carrier grade" or "carrier class" refers to a system, or a hardware or software component that is extremely reliable, well tested and proven in its capabilities. Carrier grade systems are tested and engineered to meet o ...
tools to analyze IP network traffic for billing purposes, to prevent what Narus called "revenue leakage". Post-9/11 Narus added more "semantic monitoring abilities" for surveillance.
Mobile
Narus provided
Telecom Egypt
Telecom Egypt ( ar, المصرية للاتصالات), is Egypt's primary telephone company. It started in 1854 with the first telegraph line in Egypt. In 1998, it replaced the former Arab Republic of Egypt National Telecommunication Organiza ...
with
deep packet inspection equipment, a content-filtering technology that allows network managers to inspect, track and target content from users of the Internet and mobile phones, as it passes through routers. The national telecommunications authorities of both
Pakistan and
Saudi Arabia are global Narus customers.
Controversies
AT&T wiretapping room
Narus supplied the software and hardware used at
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
wiretapping rooms, according to whistleblowers
Thomas Drake, and
Mark Klein
Mark Klein is a former AT&T technician and whistleblower who revealed details of the company's cooperation with the United States National Security Agency in installing network hardware at a site known as Room 641A to monitor, capture and proce ...
.
[What was the Israeli involvement in collecting U.S. communications intel for NSA? The Marker, Haaretz, The Associated Press and Reuters, Jun. 8, 2013 at http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.528529 .retrieved on 7-18-13]
See also
*
Carnivore (software)
Carnivore, later renamed DCS1000, was a system implemented by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that was designed to monitor email and electronic communications. It used a customizable packet sniffer that could monitor all of a target user ...
*
Communications Assistance For Law Enforcement Act
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), also known as the "Digital Telephony Act," is a United States wiretapping law passed in 1994, during the presidency of Bill Clinton (Pub. L. No. 103-414, 108 Stat. 4279, codified at 47 ...
*
Computer surveillance
Computer and network surveillance is the monitoring of computer activity and data stored locally on a computer or data being transferred over computer networks such as the Internet. This monitoring is often carried out covertly and may be comp ...
*
ECHELON
* ''
Hepting vs. AT&T'', the 2006 lawsuit in which the
Electronic Frontier Foundation alleges
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
allowed the
NSA
The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collec ...
to tap the entirety of its clients' Internet and
voice over IP communications using Narus equipment.
*
Lincoln (surveillance)
*
Room 641A
Room 641A is a telecommunication interception facility operated by AT&T for the U.S. National Security Agency, as part of its warrantless surveillance program as authorized by the Patriot Act. The facility commenced operations in 2003 and its ...
*
SIGINT
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) is intelligence-gathering by interception of '' signals'', whether communications between people (communications intelligence—abbreviated to COMINT) or from electronic signals not directly used in communication ...
*
Total Information Awareness
*
Verint Systems
Verint Systems is a Melville, New York-based analytics company which was founded in 2002. The company sells software and hardware products for customer engagement management and business intelligence. Their products are designed to assist clie ...
References
External links
Wired News article(AT&T whistleblower Mark Klein discusses Narus STA 6400)
*
Frontline Flash Video "Spying on the Home Front"TV documentary originally aired on PBS 15 May 2007 with a section entitled "The NSA's Eavesdropping at AT&T" with the story of Mark Klein exposing NSA wiretapping with a secure room and Narus STA 6400 at an AT&T facility in San Francisco, CA
{{Boeing
Software companies established in 1997
Software companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Companies based in Sunnyvale, California
Defense companies of the United States
Computer security software companies
2010 mergers and acquisitions
2015 mergers and acquisitions
Boeing mergers and acquisitions
Gen Digital acquisitions
Software companies of the United States