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Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

schneier.com

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Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#61

"In the aftermath of Google's announcement, some members of Congress are reviving a bill banning U.S. tech companies from working with governments that digitally spy on their citizens. Presumably, those legislators don't understand that their own government is on the list." Gave me a good laugh this morning...

"a bill banning U.S. tech companies from working with governments [except for the U.S.] that digitally spy on their citizens"

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#62
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One big point here is that PGP only works when both sender and receiver and doing it. Try sending Bank of America a PGP encrypted email about your account. See what happens. Edit: Re-reading my response... I don't mean this in a condescending way and I agree that PGP is a good way to handle email privacy. I only meant to point out that the majority of people don't use it.

Depends. All of my incoming email is encrypted with my public key as soon as it hits my mail server: https://grepular.com/Automatically_Encrypting_all_Incoming_E... So if my mail server or any of my imap clients are compromised, my mail isn't.

All of your incoming email has travelled through so many insecure servers on it's way to you that encrypting it on receipt is like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if you use POP3 - it can definitely be automatic. Client-side configuration on how long to retain messages seen on the server.

Mail removed from the inbox (or most other "folders" on gmail) works as expected. However, they still remain in the "All Mail" folder, which doesn't appear to be accessible to POP/IMAP clients.

"All Mail" is accessible over IMAP, but not POP. POP doesn't have a concept of 'folder.'

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends. All of my incoming email is encrypted with my public key as soon as it hits my mail server: https://grepular.com/Automatically_Encrypting_all_Incoming_E... So if my mail server or any of my imap clients are compromised, my mail isn't.

All of your incoming email has travelled through so many insecure servers on it's way to you that encrypting it on receipt is like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.

Untrue. A lot of my core correspondance run their own mail systems and use TLS.

Even for those who don't, having my mail encrypted on all of my clients and on my own server is still a big gain for me security-wise.

Just because I can't secure the senders system, doesn't mean I shouldn't bother securing my own.

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#65
post #36

Some people on this discussion mention that they simply run their own mail servers -- that's dandy for incoming mail. But how do you guys make sure your outgoing mail is not blacklisted/ignored/considered spam? That's been a non trivial problem for me in the past when I was running a mail server (and spam was not such a big problem back then). Also, is there any mail server you can run/recommend that has gmail-speedy…

I do run my own mail server of which I use SMTP fully; incoming email OTOH goes straight to a gmail account. I don't have problems being flagged as spammer, as far as I know.

The main risk running your own server is downtime/screwing things up/intrusions and you need to work a bit on that but that's part of the fun for me.

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#67
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's simply not true. Even in Nazi Germany there were pockets of resistance and people like Sophie Scholl who gave their lives because of their ideals. I for one am doing my best to resist tyranny in all its forms. I certainly won't write a backdoor or vote for anyone in favor of Patriot Act-style tyranny.

>Even in Nazi Germany there were pockets of resistance and people like Sophie Scholl who gave their lives because of their ideals. that's exactly the point. Once you really start to not being part of the evil, you live gets really impacted, to put it mildly. >I for one am doing my best to resist tyranny in all its forms. so, how do you refuse to take your shoes off and quietly wait for the TSA agent to complete gropi…

So far, as far as I know they haven't executed anyone in this country for speaking out again tyranny. I know "my best" pales in comparison to people like Sophie Scholl, but that statement shows my optimism about the current state of affairs. We are on a decline, but still far from outright Fascism.

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#68
post #36

Some people on this discussion mention that they simply run their own mail servers -- that's dandy for incoming mail. But how do you guys make sure your outgoing mail is not blacklisted/ignored/considered spam? That's been a non trivial problem for me in the past when I was running a mail server (and spam was not such a big problem back then). Also, is there any mail server you can run/recommend that has gmail-speedy…

Wouldn't whatever party you're communicating with also need to run their own mailservers? Otherwise the government or some other intruder could just read your conversations from the other end...

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#69
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Even in Nazi Germany there were pockets of resistance and people like Sophie Scholl who gave their lives because of their ideals. that's exactly the point. Once you really start to not being part of the evil, you live gets really impacted, to put it mildly. >I for one am doing my best to resist tyranny in all its forms. so, how do you refuse to take your shoes off and quietly wait for the TSA agent to complete gropi…

So far, as far as I know they haven't executed anyone in this country for speaking out again tyranny. I know "my best" pales in comparison to people like Sophie Scholl, but that statement shows my optimism about the current state of affairs. We are on a decline, but still far from outright Fascism.

>So far, as far as I know they haven't executed anyone in this country for speaking out again tyranny.

and the point is? there is no evil happens? or there is no need to bother until executions start? In Stalin's Soviet Union millions were executed and nobody bothered even then. Anyway, executions are so 20th century. The modern autocracies', like modern Russia for example, have found a way of doing pretty much the same thing without mess of executions. Modern citizens are so tender, they value their comfort and good job so much...

>my optimism about the current state of affairs. We are on a decline, but still far from outright Fascism.

just for starters, something very easy to understand: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436364/

Re: Google's Backdoor Access System into Gmail Accounts

#70
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Even in Nazi Germany there were pockets of resistance and people like Sophie Scholl who gave their lives because of their ideals. that's exactly the point. Once you really start to not being part of the evil, you live gets really impacted, to put it mildly. >I for one am doing my best to resist tyranny in all its forms. so, how do you refuse to take your shoes off and quietly wait for the TSA agent to complete gropi…

So far, as far as I know they haven't executed anyone in this country for speaking out again tyranny. I know "my best" pales in comparison to people like Sophie Scholl, but that statement shows my optimism about the current state of affairs. We are on a decline, but still far from outright Fascism.

> So far, as far as I know they haven't executed anyone in this country for speaking out again tyranny.

I'm sure you know that Julian Assange is facing possible extradition to the US, and several top official are shamefully talking about dusting off the Espionage Act as a way to seek the death penalty in this case. The fact that he is not American hasn't seemed to deter them. Nor has the fact that other journalists and media outlets like the NY Times printed the same documents.

What is so scary is you have other "journalists" basically joining in to criticize WikiLeaks and JA, not realizing that they are setting the stage for future silencing of other members of the press.

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