U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet

General Topics
1

at the contrary of other stuff posted here, this news is serious (as opposed to statistics from expert wannabes):

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

ps: there are alternatives ;D

2

Yes, I read the news already

There is no big deal in here:

The US government is just asking everybody to equip themselves to allow any future wiretap orders.

All wiretapping of American citizens by the National Security Agency requires a warrant from a three judge court set up under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

If the FBI gets a warrant, then it is legal I guess

I am more worried about this:

Quote:

The Times said that some privacy and technology advocates say the regulations would create weaknesses in the technology that hackers could more easily exploit.

3

Oh boy, looking to save money and time with no regard for the vunerability it creates for the end-user, how nice. :frowning: ::slight_smile:

I feel so much more “protected” ::slight_smile: now.

That…is not precisely true, by what I have learned. Being almost totally “off-the-books”, NSA can do what they want till it comes time for “due process”. Then they need a tribunal’s approval.

4

if there’s a backdoor for a government (which I won’t admit anyway, therefor explaining why I mentioned, without giving any details, the alternatives…), then there’s a backdoor for hackers. Not ready to use that sort of crap, and not ready to accept to be treated on the same level as a few radical fanatics. The right to privacy exists, and is not negotiable.

ps: to be more precise, what they might become able to do with software companies and ISPs, they won’t be able to do with Open Source stuff…so they’re screwed anyway.

5

No need to get excited. There is no privacy on the internet. It disappeared a long time ago.
If you don’t want something to be made public or available to the public, don’t post it in the first place. ;D

6

you know we’re not talking about posts sent to forums, social networks or stuff like that Bob don’t you? >>> but about private conversations in emails or instant messengers, stuff that you only want to share with a friend or a family member…you know what I mean, private stuff, and I’m sorry but there are Internet tools that can be used for that.

7

just as an example:

-----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE-----
Version: PGP Desktop 9.12.0 (Build 1035) - not licensed for commercial use: www.pgp.com
Charset: utf-8

qANQR1DDDQQJAwIRC9+UkIc6zJjSPQHbSAB4DQQFvYSZjvPD0lCQbM1NzHthuLiy
qJ+M0wB0bcWBTG0+IHTtnY89DvT9TtUla5sFra9NMNXl2kA=
=cCr4
-----END PGP MESSAGE-----

would mean: Hi, Bob ;D (once decrypted with password “123456” >> you could check, if you had the software, I didn’t use any key there )

…yeah I wasn’t aware that such stuff when emailed was still readable and publicly available ??? :wink:

8

It seems that we need an Overlord to descend and take control :o
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood’s_End

9

did they wake you up from your grave Yok?

10

No but I Grok that ;D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_a_Strange_Land

11

Can the security agencies crack an SSL encrypted connection?

I mean VPN connections in SSL like in Hotspot Shield or Comodo VPN

12

It’s kinda funny that you would post this…I’m reading Digital Fortress by Dan Brown… (it’s only fiction though ;))
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Fortress