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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

#141

Post by asciilifeform »

pdenya wrote: post #139
asciilifeform wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You will have a "car accident." Well, actually you won't, but only because you will "listen to reason" when some well-dressed uninvited guests come over for an evening chat. Call me mad, but do you ever wonder why there is no consumer hardware PGP telephone?

This phone doesn't exist because there's not a market for it. I definitely wouldn't buy that. I, like a lot of others, don't have anything to hide from the government so even though I oppose the wire-tapping i'm not going to inconvenience myself to keep arbitrary data and idle chat secure.

We'll meet in the labor camps one day and have a good laugh at each other's expense.

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

#142

Post by [deleted] »

pedalpete wrote: post #44
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…

Yes to Petition your government, contact your congressperson, and support the EFF. The problem with making yourself 'technically safe' is that it realistically leaves most non-technical people exposed. The only way to 'protect' everybody is to cure the cancer, not just your symptoms.

[deleted]

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

#143

Post by trotsky »

Estragon wrote: post #129
trotsky wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://vimeo.com/11303353

Not sure what your point is, here. I listened to it, and it was very interesting, but the speaker has actually implemented encrypted communications on Android, so he clearly isn't too worried about it being poisoned.

I'm not sure there is one perfect 100% answer for that question, but I might suggest "that was then, this is now?"

https://twitter.com/#!/moxie__/status/48185775111684096

It is probably worth noting that the speaker (and tweeter) has had some significant delays in the last year while clearing customs.

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

#144

Post by fugue88 »

HelloBeautiful wrote: post #102
fugue88 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We could use GPG for normal e-mail correspondence. But I really don't know if this would do anything more than delay any problems. In a similar vein, I've deleted all the trusted root CA certs from my computer, and am now marking individual certs trusted as I hit them. Not fail-safe, but safer, I think.

Haha, this doesn't make any sense. How can you possibly know the real cert from the one generated by NSA?

Great question! Unfortunately, I don't think you can.

If you use CA certs to trust site certs, the site certs can change on the fly (i.e. be replaced with an NSA interloper) without you knowing.

If you kill your CA certs, and mark individual sites trusted, than at least your browser will notify you if the site's cert has changed since you lasted trusted it. Theoretically. I haven't actually tested this yet. :(

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

#145

Post by manveru »

SoftwareMaven wrote: post #18
drivebyacct2 wrote: post #3

This is literally years-old information. I was aware of and hollering about this at people as a highschooler at debate and speech tournaments. Same thing then as now, no one cares, or those that do care don't care enough. Besides, who cares if you have nothing to hide. Right?

My father-in-law said exactly that to me. I wanted to reach out and smack him. Unfortunately, it isn't just a "mental copout", either. He is a very intelligent person who has arrived at a conclusion that the government oversight is OK because he has nothing to hide and (I have inferred) he is very afraid of those who do have something to hide.

Maybe he'd like to read http://craphound.com/littlebrother/

It's probably more targeted at a juvenile segment, but an interesting and enlightening book nonetheless.

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

#146

Post by fugue88 »

mhb wrote: post #118
fugue88 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We could use GPG for normal e-mail correspondence. But I really don't know if this would do anything more than delay any problems. In a similar vein, I've deleted all the trusted root CA certs from my computer, and am now marking individual certs trusted as I hit them. Not fail-safe, but safer, I think.

I don't understand what you're doing. When you get an individual cert, are you adding another trusted authority to verify that cert? If you're just trusting the individual cert, you're exposed to MITM.

Yes, you're exposed to MITM. But if you permantly mark the cert as trusted, and the MITM goes away, you'll know somethings has changed. You'll be blind as to which way things changed, but at least you'll know to investigate.

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

#147

Post by michaeldhopkins »

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…

You're DFL? I think I know you. You were at Summer School, right?

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

#148

Post by bioh42_2 »

reedlaw wrote: post #135
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…

Whenever I mention libertarian principles on HN I get a mixed response, but this is one situation where we must demand individual rights. We need to elect politicians like Ron Paul who oppose big government intrusions into our privacy. This country is supposed to be a bastion of liberty and we go to war to "protect freedom" and "democracy" and yet we are less and less free every day. When we see articles about Chines…

We need to elect politicians like Ron Paul

Ran Paul has a pretty safe seat in the house. It is not practical to expect Americans to elect him president. I believe the OP asked for practical advice.

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

#149

Post by bioh42_2 »

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…

Can someone show/tell me what I, an average person, can do?

Get personally involved with your representatives and senators. Write paper letters, call, and show up in person. Be friendly and talk with other voters at the events you show up to. Educate them on this issue. Abandon party affiliation, work with both Democrats and Republicans.

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

#150

Post by davidhollander »

intended wrote: post #98
pyre wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the point is government that is not necessarily led by a single person. Though the president of the US is the 'leader,' he does share power with the Supreme Court and Congress. Just because everyone likes to point to the president when things go wrong doesn't mean there aren't others that share in the blame... The current problem with the system is that: 1) the Federal government has grown too large, and 2) t…

May I suggest that the current US political debate is virulently polarizing and unproductive? Perhaps the issue Good Governance vs Bad Governance would be effective/useful? (as opposed to the current axis of big vs small) As was said by Deng Xiapong "it doesn't matter if the cat is white or black.."

>As was said by Deng Xiapong "it doesn't matter if the cat is white or black.."

..because "Parkinson's Law works everywhere." - Mikhail Gorbachev

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