The U.S. National Security Agency knew for at least two years about a flaw in the way that many websites send sensitive information, now dubbed the Heartbleed bug, and regularly used it to gather critical intelligence, two people familiar with the matter said.

The NSA’s decision to keep the bug secret in pursuit of national security interests threatens to renew the rancorous debate over the role of the government’s top computer experts.

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Putting the Heartbleed bug in its arsenal, the NSA was able to obtain passwords and other basic data that are the building blocks of the sophisticated hacking operations at the core of its mission, but at a cost. Millions of ordinary users were left vulnerable to attack from other nations’ intelligence arms and criminal hackers.

I voted for Barack Obama to be President in 2008 to put a stop to this Bush-era bullshit. That he has been completely corrupted by the neo-conservative September 11 cowards that make up the security aparatus of our government is inexcusable. In a just world, congress would launch investigations, the FBI would be arresting people, the NSA would get split up into different agencies, its director would resign, people would be fired.

People would go to jail.

Instead the President might have to stand in front of a podium for 5 minutes and talk about how important it is all for your security and safety for the continued institutionalization of the digital gestapo.