PRISM Program

PRISM program is a massive surveillance program operated by the United States National Security Agency (NSA). The PRISM program utilizes extensive data mining efforts to collect information and analyze that data for patterns of terrorist or other potential criminal activity.

PRISM: Clouded in Secrecy

PRISM has been clouded in secrecy since its creation in 2007, but it gained widespread attention recently as a result of its suspected use of data obtained from the servers of major internet companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Yahoo, AOL, Skype and YouTube. This data is believed to include e-mails, documents, photographs, chats (audio and video) and connection logs of users.

Details have also been leaked that PRISM has been actively logging the telephone calls of Verizon customers and likely customers of other telecommunications companies as well.

The PRISM surveillance program falls under the supervision of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). According to the Director of U.S. National Intelligence, PRISM is operated under strict supervision and cannot be used to intentionally target any Americans or anyone in the United States.

Forrest Stroud
Forrest Stroud
Forrest is a writer for Webopedia. Experienced, entrepreneurial, and well-rounded, he has 15+ years covering technology, business software, website design, programming, and more.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.

Related Articles

Embedded Analytics

Embedded analytics brings self-service business intelligence to everyday application users.

HRIS

Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their workforce operations. They provide a central platform for human resources professionals...

Complete List of Cybersecurity Acronyms

Cybersecurity news and best practices are full of acronyms and abbreviations. Without understanding what each one means, it's difficult to comprehend the significance of...

Human Resources Management System

A Human Resources Management System (HRMS) is a software application that supports many functions of a company's Human Resources department, including benefits administration, payroll,...

ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting is a leading managed hosting provider that offers secure, scalable, and affordable...

HRIS

Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their...

Best Managed Service Providers...

In today's business world, managed services are more critical than ever. They can...