--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The internet exchange is sort of the core…" description: "\"The internet exchange is sort of the core points where all of the international cables come together, where all of the internet service providers come ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/edward-snowden-555_access_the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-cor_1527875.jpg" --- # The internet exchange is sort of the core points where all… ![“The internet exchange is sort of the core points where all of the international cables come together, where all of the internet service providers come together, and they trade lines with each other. These are priority one targets for any sort of espionage agency, because they provide access to so…” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/edward-snowden-555_access_the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-cor_1527875.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/edward-snowden-555_access_the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-cor_1527875.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/edward-snowden-555_access_the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-cor_1527875.jpg) > “The internet exchange is sort of the core points where all of the international cables come together, where all of the internet service providers come together, and they trade lines with each other. These are priority one targets for any sort of espionage agency, because they provide access to so many people's communications.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Internet exchange points are critical hubs where global data traffic converges, making them prime targets for espionage seeking mass communications access. **In simple terms:** These hubs are key for data flow and thus espionage focus. Key Takeaway Protect exchange points with strong security. Themes security privacy infrastructure surveillance geopolitics Mood concerned alert serious Type technical policy warning When to use this quote - government monitoring - cyber espionage - telecom infrastructure - policy making Key Concepts network topology signal interception national security Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance openness of the internet with protecting these hubs? - What safeguards are most effective against insider threats? A Different Perspective Even with security, insider threats can compromise exchanges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Espionage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/espionage/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Providers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/providers/) [Service providers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service-providers/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) ## Related quotes > [Internet exchanges and internet service providers - international fiber optic landing points - these are the key tools that governments go after in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/internet-exchanges-and-internet-service-providers-international-fiber/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If even one country, an Iceland for example, defects from this global legislative bargain and says no, we're not going to enforcement mass surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-even-one-country-an-iceland-for-example-defects-from-this-global/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Right now it is illegal for a service provider to censor or block a site because they don't like it or to privilege someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/right-now-it-is-illegal-for-a-service-provider-to-censor-or-block-a/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [As we battle the high price of fuel, cost efficiency will continue to be a top priority not only for airlines but for every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanni-bisignani/as-we-battle-the-high-price-of-fuel-cost-efficiency-will-continue-to/) Giovanni Bisignani > [Net neutrality is the principle that the service providers who control or access, who own the pipes, should not favor some content over another.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/net-neutrality-is-the-principle-that-the-service-providers-who/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [Data is gathered all the time. Just take your mobile phone. Geo-location data collected by your (mobile phone service) provider is not just about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/data-is-gathered-all-the-time-just-take-your-mobile-phone-geo/) [Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/) > [I grew up in Del Mar, Calif., north of San Diego. I got my first job the summer after eighth grade at a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ulevitch/i-grew-up-in-del-mar-calif-north-of-san-diego-i-got-my-first-job-the/) [David Ulevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ulevitch/) > [Now, with a warrant, they can always go to the information service provider and attempt to get that information. But even then, they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-beckstrom/now-with-a-warrant-they-can-always-go-to-the-information-service/) [Rod Beckstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-beckstrom/) > [Financial service providers act as the lubricating oil in the economy. They link consumers who want to invest their savings for a good return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bruton/financial-service-providers-act-as-the-lubricating-oil-in-the-economy/) [John Bruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bruton/) > [Google, Amazon, Apple. Any number of cloud providers and computer service providers who can increasingly limit your access to your own information, control all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/google-amazon-apple-any-number-of-cloud-providers-and-computer/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [We see community organizations as major service providers and economic drivers rather than as recipients or distributors of charity, and coordinators of volunteers. Today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-gillard/we-see-community-organizations-as-major-service-providers-and/) [Julia Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-gillard/) > [I think anything which promotes heterogeneity on the Internet promotes stability. Diversity in services, service providers, and separating the layers of the networking stack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ulevitch/i-think-anything-which-promotes-heterogeneity-on-the-internet/) [David Ulevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ulevitch/) > [If you had a jetpack you'd be like I have the shittiest jetpack. Who's your service provider on your jetpack? Did they make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/if-you-had-a-jetpack-you-d-be-like-i-have-the-shittiest-jetpack-who-s/) [Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/) > [Enthusiastic service providers create enthusiastic customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kaufman/enthusiastic-service-providers-create-enthusiastic-customers/) [Ron Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kaufman/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More Access quotes > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) > [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. I do enjoy feminine frippery, feminine doo-da, stuff like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/now-that-i-m-more-middle-class-i-have-access-to-consumer-goods-i-do/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [To pray is to open the door unto Jesus and admit Him into your distress. Your helplessness is the very thing which opens wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ole-hallesby/to-pray-is-to-open-the-door-unto-jesus-and-admit-him-into-your/) [Ole Hallesby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ole-hallesby/) > [Broadband Internet access shouldn't depend on who you are or where you're from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/broadband-internet-access-shouldn-t-depend-on-who-you-are-or-where/) [Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/) [Browse all 2,178 Access quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The internet exchange is sort of the core points where all of the international cables come together, where all of the internet service providers come together, and they trade lines with each other. These are priority one targets for any sort of espionage agency, because they provide access to so many people's communications.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Snowden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-core-points-where-all-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Access" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-core-points-where-all-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/edward-snowden-555_access_the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-cor_1527875.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/edward-snowden-555_access_the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-cor_1527875.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80f/edward-snowden-555_access_the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-cor_1527875.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The internet exchange is sort of the core points where all of the international cables come together, where…” — Edward Snowden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edward Snowden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The internet exchange is sort of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-core-points-where-all-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-internet-exchange-is-sort-of-the-core-points-where-all-of-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```