Well, ok, they don't actually *say* that, but it's the underlying idea
behind their own piece, which says that the listed companies didn't really
give NSA quite such unfettered access:
Cheers,
-- jra
There's another potential explanation:
*puts on evil hat, adjusts for snug fit*
Targeting the technical people who actually have their hands on the
gear might be the best choice. They don't have the power, wealth
and soapbox of the Cxx-level people. They are thus far more easily
intimidated into silence. Unlike the Cxx people, they actually spend
time in data centers. And by keeping the Cxx people in the dark,
their public denials will carry more credibility because they will
actually believe they're telling the truth. (When's the last time
any of them got their hands dirty crawling pulling out raised floor
tiles and running cable?)
---rsk