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Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

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Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#271

Post by judahmeek »

nitemice wrote: post #94
ahelwer wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Undergraduate ethics courses usually just go over the big historically-important ethical analysis systems (utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, veil of ignorance, social contract, etc.) Unlikely to touch on trickier issues such as why you ought to act ethically at all, or even what it means to act ethically - why, for instance, are you so certain writing backdoors for the NSA is unethical? This is certainly something…

Even worse though, is that these sorts of courses are almost always derided by the majority of the student base as a waste of time, and "common sense stuff". I actually really enjoyed the one I did, although it had just gone through a major rewrite to improve it a lot. And yet, I don't think I ever heard any of my peers mention the course with anything but contempt.

That's because a course on ethics doesn't provide students with greater ethical reasoning or values. Such courses simply provide information and test whether students were listening to the lectures or not.

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#273

Post by ralfn »

at-fates-hands wrote: post #246
ralfn wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. And dangerous in the long term because the US wont be the most powerfull country forever. High trees catch a lot of wind. People are more likely to hate the US. When the tides change and the power inbalance goes away the hate and mistrust will still be there. But maybe society is wiser this time around.

>> because the US wont be the most powerfull country forever I honestly find this hard to believe because: - When there is conflict in the world, countries always come to the US first for military intervention - When there is a serious disaster of some kind, countries always expect us to send billions in aid (both militarily and financially) to help them - When a country is trying to obtain nuclear weapons or weapons…

I'm not disagreeing with your assessment of the current situation, but forever is a long time.

> I know there's large chunks of our population that would welcome some other countries stepping up >t would certainly save us thousands of military personnel that have been lost

The US spends more on its military than the next 30+ countries combined of which only one is not a NATO ally.

We in Europe seem quite content with the situation. We get the fruits of the american sacrifice, but not the economic and cultural burden. We spend all that money on social issues in our little paradise. Then we either point our fingers at the US and naively assume our freedom & security comes from us being such darn nice people. Not realizing it is the United States who are walking the perimeter of our little paradise of moral superiority.

But outside of Europe, there are lots of countries who definitely want more power and standing in the world (China, Russia, India). And the economic imbalance from our history is wearing off.

So financially, the military budgets are going to look more similar. The West will only keep its dominance in terms of culture and values, if we (Europe) and the other NATO allies start contributing our fair share. As a side-bonus: this would give us more influence in the more questionable aspects of the US military strategy. But like the spoiled child of rich parents, i doubt we will figure that out in time. The US might end up in a situation not that different from Germany after WWI or WWII.

I'm not arguing it's fair. But i don't have to explain to an American that everyone always roots for the underdog. And the US hasn't been the underdog for a long long time.

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#274

Post by at-fates-hands »

ralfn wrote: post #273
at-fates-hands wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> because the US wont be the most powerfull country forever I honestly find this hard to believe because: - When there is conflict in the world, countries always come to the US first for military intervention - When there is a serious disaster of some kind, countries always expect us to send billions in aid (both militarily and financially) to help them - When a country is trying to obtain nuclear weapons or weapons…

I'm not disagreeing with your assessment of the current situation, but forever is a long time. > I know there's large chunks of our population that would welcome some other countries stepping up >t would certainly save us thousands of military personnel that have been lost The US spends more on its military than the next 30+ countries combined of which only one is not a NATO ally. We in Europe seem quite content with…

You make some really excellent points, and I agree with all of them.

I will be curious to see what does happens once the US does have to share the military and economic influence you reference. Will we be happy to hand it off? It seems lately, our population has grown weary about waging constant proxy wars and getting involved in long standing regional and tribal disputes that go back thousands of years with no real end in sight.

I feel like there is the beginning of a vacuum and there are a lot of countries already queuing up to get a shot at that power and influence.

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#275

Post by macspoofing »

couchand wrote: post #192
macspoofing wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's reasonable to expect a reasonable level of (legal) pushback from service providers against government warrants or mandates. It's unreasonable to expect of them to risk their entire business.

But they're doing that anyway, in bits and bobs, when they erode the trust of their customers.

I think maybe this is something that can only be solved by elected officials being pressured by the public. Expecting companies to go up against the government is not reasonable.

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#276

Post by lern_too_spel »

dmix wrote: post #250
lern_too_spel wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your understanding of PRISM is entirely wrong. It processes emails these companies send to the FBI for specific accounts that the government has a court order for, not all the emails that these companies handle.

That's why I said FISA warrant... which includes 3 hops. Otherwise they would collect any email ever sent unencrypted via submarine fiber wiretaps. While feeds into XKeyscore.

FISA warrants do not include 3 hops. There is nothing in Snowden's leaks that suggests the NSA uses submarine wiretaps to collect your emails either. You seem to have ignored the leaked documents entirely and made up a scary all-seeing Boogeyman.

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#277

Post by lern_too_spel »

ionised wrote: post #231
lern_too_spel wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing in Snowden's leaks suggests that the government has access to your friend's email, let alone is reading it. Stop exaggerating to your non-techie friends.

You must have been folowing a different leak than me.

I read the documents released by Snowden. Which leaks are you referring to? Can you point me to any document that suggests the NSA has his friend's emails?

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#278

Post by lern_too_spel »

benevol wrote: post #174
lern_too_spel wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing in Snowden's leaks suggests that the government has access to your friend's email, let alone is reading it. Stop exaggerating to your non-techie friends.

Next, people on HN are going to deny the holocaust. 3... 2... 1...

It sounds like you've been reading too much fake news. Can you point me to any document that suggests the NSA has his friend's emails?

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#279

Post by dickbasedregex »

rconti wrote: post #241
uiri wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given its government's track record, I would think that data centers in the US should be walled off in much the same way as data centers in China. It is frankly surprising that American companies are blind to their own government's track record for indiscriminately spying on its citizens and people around the world.

The US Government has far more legal leeway to spy in other countries than in its own.

But they have all the facilities to do it in their own.

I'd say if you believe there are any real checks or balances to the NSA's power you're naive.

Re: Yahoo installed a backdoor for the NSA behind the back of the security team

#280

Post by dickbasedregex »

danbmil99 wrote: post #153

What really upsets me about this is the idea that the security team was bypassed, effectively compromising security for Yahoo and every one of their customers. The idea that a company executive would knowingly bypass their own CSO, and take it upon themselves to understand the risks they are introducing, is mind-bogglingly stupid and egregious. Marissa Meyer, if she approved this, should be deeply ashamed of herself.

>Marissa Meyer should be deeply ashamed of herself.

Fixed that for you.

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