Tom Standage

Union army telegraph operators just after the battle of Gettysburg. The Civil War is sometimes described as the first information war. Intercepted messages landed on Abraham Lincoln's desk.

The history of electronic surveillance, from Abraham Lincoln’s wiretaps to Operation Shamrock

Conflict & Justice

Did you know the official electronic eavesdropping goes back to the Civil War and the days of the telegraph?

Global impact of Sony security breach

Global Politics
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