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AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

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Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#61

Post by phlux »

fingerprinter wrote: post #21

One thing I see people saying on here is that people should care....and I do...but I don't know _what_ to do with it! Can someone show/tell me what I, an average person, can do? It feels a bit overwhelming and things like this point out how powerless we really are. I hope I'm wrong and there are things we can do...I just don't know what they are. EDIT - Asking two more specific questions: 1. What can we do technicall…

So after applying to YC today (worried that I borked my app) I had the following idea - which is an evolutionary idea from the one I applied to YC with, I dont know if this is possible - but I want to throw it out to HN:

I would like to see mobile end-to-end secure communications apps that allow for users to have completely encrypted message passing.

I had the following idea - please tell me if this would work:

You have a distributed truecrypt file system with a client that the users run on their device, and intermediate cloud storage.

Each user device is a "folder" on the file system - messages are effectively truecrypt encrypted files that gave saved out to the remote folder that == the recipient.

The system would notify you that you have a new file that has been pushed to your folder - you can then decrypt and read it.

However - I feel that the weakness would be in the required key/passwd to open the files -- this might not be securable.

It may require that folders between two users have a known password on each eand - and that for every contact/recipient you would have to have a separate key (they could be the same value, but still separate) thus a communication looks like this

[typed mesage] --> [truecrypt'ed file] --> [to: folder] --> [routing engine/store and forward] --> [from: folder] --> [truecrypt decrypt by user] --> [user reads message]

But in a mobile environment...

Anyway - half baked stream-of-thought idea... Why would this not work?

Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#62

Post by mcantelon »

itistoday wrote: post #52
rdtsc wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is written for you to learn in 5th grade civics class and feel good about your country and your government. But is not for those printing & spending hundreds of billions of dollars.

I'm not sure why people are upvoting your comment. Actually, I do know why. It's a depressing disenchantment with government. They don't understand that government is not going anywhere, and that government can be as good as it can be bad. The quote zmblum posted is brilliant, and it is an example of what Good Government is capable of. It is not just for your 5th grade civics class. It's for RIGHT NOW. Read the quote…

>The government is not just them, it's also you, and sitting on the sidelines being cynical is supporting them.

One can be cynical without being resigned. Cynicism is recognition of the depth and breadth of corruption and not necessarily equivalent to apathy.

But you're right that the corruption we see in the government is a reflection of our own corruption. The mess we now find ourselves in wouldn't be possible without generations of self-deception, apathy, and twisted values. We let ourselves be conned into building the world that the founding fathers warned us against. We'll likely only wake up when survival itself is at stake.

Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#65

Post by Natsu »

getsat wrote: post #12
zmblum wrote: post #2

What about the following paragraph is not clear? "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and Warrants shall not be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Am I missing something? Of cour…

The authors of the Federalist Papers were against a specific enumeration of rights because they feared that those would become the only rights that citizens had. They now seem prescient in retrospect.

While I think they had a very good point, how much has the 9th amendment actually protected?

Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#66

Post by mrgordon »

CamperBob wrote: post #58
itistoday wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure why people are upvoting your comment. Actually, I do know why. It's a depressing disenchantment with government. They don't understand that government is not going anywhere, and that government can be as good as it can be bad. The quote zmblum posted is brilliant, and it is an example of what Good Government is capable of. It is not just for your 5th grade civics class. It's for RIGHT NOW. Read the quote…

They don't understand that government is not going anywhere, and that government can be as good as it can be bad. No way in hell. Where, in either the future or the history books, is the saintly leader who will counterbalance a Stalin or a Mao?

Gandhi?

Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#67

Post by caf »

Natsu wrote: post #65
getsat wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The authors of the Federalist Papers were against a specific enumeration of rights because they feared that those would become the only rights that citizens had. They now seem prescient in retrospect.

While I think they had a very good point, how much has the 9th amendment actually protected?

Troxel v. Granville was based on an unenumerated right.

Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#68

Post by Splines »

phlux wrote: post #61
fingerprinter wrote: post #21

One thing I see people saying on here is that people should care....and I do...but I don't know _what_ to do with it! Can someone show/tell me what I, an average person, can do? It feels a bit overwhelming and things like this point out how powerless we really are. I hope I'm wrong and there are things we can do...I just don't know what they are. EDIT - Asking two more specific questions: 1. What can we do technicall…

So after applying to YC today (worried that I borked my app) I had the following idea - which is an evolutionary idea from the one I applied to YC with, I dont know if this is possible - but I want to throw it out to HN: I would like to see mobile end-to-end secure communications apps that allow for users to have completely encrypted message passing. I had the following idea - please tell me if this would work: You h…

I think you're trying too hard. There are existing protocols (S/MIME, PGP, Jabber, etc.) for transferring messages in a secure manner. I'd pick the one that fits your scenario and wrap it up in a shiny app.

AFAIK, there are several IM apps that could support encryption, but I don't think they are actually doing so (and if they are, they aren't advertising it). As it is, end-end secure communications is not (I think) on anyone's feature bullet-list.

Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#69

Post by fooandbarify »

daniel1980fl wrote: post #45

I remember reading that long time ago. It actually made me quit AT&T and every time someone called me, I tend to ask or check their number and tell them you calling me from AT&T do you know about "the room"? Couple times my friends quit it for the same reason; others don't care. I guess the answer is switch to a different career. I had a good laugh when I read (think it was Wikipedia) about that room. AT&T was sued o…

I think it's reasonable to assume that every North American (and European, etc) carrier does this, so quitting AT&T won't help much. I'm sure there are many other good reasons to leave them, though.

Re: AT&T has a fiberoptic splitter copying our data to NSA

#70

Post by phlux »

Splines wrote: post #68
phlux wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So after applying to YC today (worried that I borked my app) I had the following idea - which is an evolutionary idea from the one I applied to YC with, I dont know if this is possible - but I want to throw it out to HN: I would like to see mobile end-to-end secure communications apps that allow for users to have completely encrypted message passing. I had the following idea - please tell me if this would work: You h…

I think you're trying too hard. There are existing protocols (S/MIME, PGP, Jabber, etc.) for transferring messages in a secure manner. I'd pick the one that fits your scenario and wrap it up in a shiny app. AFAIK, there are several IM apps that could support encryption, but I don't think they are actually doing so (and if they are, they aren't advertising it). As it is, end-end secure communications is not (I think)…

You may be right, however one advantage of this method is that any messages and files are seen as exactly the same: a secure truecrypt encrypted file transfer.

No differentiation between a txt or file...

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