Brazil is creating an email system intended to shield the government from NSA spying. The country is set to vote on a cyber-security bill following revelations the US spy network had infiltrated the highest levels of Brazil’s administration.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff tweeted the news, stressing
the need for greater security “to prevent possible
espionage.”
Rousseff said the Federal Data Processing Service (SERPRO) had
been charged with creating the spy-proof system for the Brazilian
government.
“This is the first step toward extending the privacy and
inviolability of official posts,” Rousseff said.
Determinei ao Serpro implantação de sistema seguro de e-mails em todo governo federal (cont)
— Dilma Rousseff (@dilmabr) October 13, 2013
Furthermore, Brazil’s Minister of Communication Paulo Bernardo
said that the new system would most probably be put to the test
at the end of the month. SERPRO is also developing an email
security system that will be freely available for the Brazilian
public.
The initiatives are part of a number of measures being introduced
by the Brazilian government to sure up internet security. It
comes after security leaks by former CIA employee Edward Snowden
revealed that the NSA had been spying on the communications of
the Brazilian government.
The classified cables obtained by American journalist Glen
Greenwald and published by Brazilian newspaper O Globo revealed
that the US spy agency had infiltrated the state-run oil giant
Petrobras. The NSA had even managed to hack into President
Rousseff’s email account.
Canada was also implicated in the scandal for spying on Brazil’s
Ministry of Mines and Energy and then disseminating the data
among the others in the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence network – the
US, UK, New Zealand and Australia.
“They [Five Eyes] are sharing all the information, handing
over documents to let other countries know exactly what they are
doing,” Glen Greenwald told Brazilian current affairs program
Fantastico.
President Dilma condemned the NSA’s spying as a breach of
Brazilian sovereignty and made it clear that Brazil would not
tolerate such activities. She called on both Canada and the US to
cease the ‘cyberwar’ they had started against Brazil.
“Without respect for [a nation’s] sovereignty, there is no
basis for proper relations among nations. Those who want a
strategic partnership cannot possibly allow recurring and illegal
action to go on as if they were an ordinary practice,” she
said in a speech to the UN in September.
In retaliation, Dilma postponed an official visit to Washington
and announced that Brazil will host an international conference
on internet governance next year.
Meanwhile, the White House has released a statement saying
President Barack Obama had ordered an investigation into the US
intelligence program in Brazil.
"As the president previously stated, he has directed a broad
review of US intelligence posture, but the process will take
several months to complete,” said the statement.