# Search the web like an NSA analyst

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-the-web-like-an-nsa-analyst/658905>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 21, 2013, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-the-web-like-an-nsa-analyst/658905 "2013-05-21T07:26:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-the-web-like-an-nsa-analyst/658905/1 "2013-05-21T07:26:46Z")

</div>

Not sure where I first read about this but I think it was [here on yahoo news.](http://news.yahoo.com/search-spy-googles-secret-hacks-revealed-140400536.html?.tsrc=samsungwn&.sep=table) It talks about the[NSA’s declassified research manual titled [URL=“http://www.nsa.gov/public\_info/\_files/Untangling\_the\_Web.pdf”]“Untangling the Web”](http://news.yahoo.com/search-spy-googles-secret-hacks-revealed-140400536.html?.tsrc=samsungwn&.sep=table)

There is all sorts of good stuff there including undocumented wildcard and filetype searches for Google. The google hacks start on pdf page 82 (page 73).

However it seems to cover much much more and if people spend any time with it, I hope you will come back to share your wisdom.

One problem though seems to be that it’s not in text format so you will have to run it through optical character recognition first, but since there are plenty of freeware programs available to do that, it shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle. Plus I think some office suites might have the ability built in. when I imported it into word it gave me the option but did invoke an external program so I can’t be sure.

[Here’s another article from Wired.](http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/05/nsa-manual-on-hacking-internet/)  
[URL=“[http://news.yahoo.com/search-spy-googles-secret-hacks-revealed-140400536.html?.tsrc=samsungwn&.sep=table](http://news.yahoo.com/search-spy-googles-secret-hacks-revealed-140400536.html?.tsrc=samsungwn&.sep=table)”]

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SleepyDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@SleepyDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleepyDuck)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-the-web-like-an-nsa-analyst/658905/2 "2013-05-27T07:29:41Z")

</div>

I’m not even half way through it, but already pounds of good information. Thanks for the link, \*\*deltasigma.  
🆒

\*\*

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\
**Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-the-web-like-an-nsa-analyst/658905/3 "2013-05-27T08:23:14Z")

</div>

never mind - wrong thread.

OK, now that I know where I am, thanks. I’m impressed that you’re not completely overwhelmed. Please come back and share some tricks.