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The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

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Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#51

Post by leetcrew »

formerly_proven wrote: post #21
MaxBarraclough wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The TSA masterkey case is an interesting analogue example. I don't know much about locks, but I wonder how it could ever be secure, even if they never leaked photos of the masterkeys. In principle, it should be possible to reverse-engineer the shape of the masterkey from any masterkey-compatible lock. Would it be practical to do this?

- It is not secure - You can make/buy them - Luggage locks are all garbage anyway Most mechanical locks are garbage and neither resistant to practical physical attacks nor at all pick resistant. Many are vulnerable to super-generic low-skill attacks like bump keys and comb picks. Many electronic locks are garbage. Smart locks are complete garbage. See https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm9K6rby98W8JigLoZOh6FQ for many…

physical locks are meant only to deter casual/opportunistic attacks. LPL essentially makes this point in the video on his home security setup. it's pointless to spend a lot of money on a front door lock that takes more effort to pick than it takes to force open the door or smash a window.

Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#52

Post by throwaway53453 »

A4ET8a8uTh0 wrote: post #39
laurent92 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We need to make it strategic to hide our communications. The day the CIA decides that [place any enemy] has routers all over the place in US territory and that their spying is bad, they will mandate the use of Tor instead of discouraging it. We don’t need to be at war, but we need a capable enemy.

I heard the balance of power argument before and, well, you were already granted this wish ( and I would argue that you had it granted twice ). Both China and Russia are very capable adversaries at this time and US is slipping from its top dog position. It is genuinely sad to watch.

Russia isn't a threat to the US. Foreign policy maybe, but not existential like China.

Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#54

Post by ISL »

christophilus wrote: post #31
_wldu wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

15 years ago, if I had said that society would build a tracking system and that most people would happily carry a tracker in their pocket and pay monthly fees to support the tracking networks, I would have been laughed out of the room. But that is what happened, and most people are oblivious to this fact.

I watched Citizen of the State recently, and the paranoid old man in that movie looks like a normie today.

I think you mean Enemy of the State?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_of_the_State_(film)

Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#56

Post by Jabbermonkey »

snarf21 wrote: post #50
cm2187 wrote: post #8

Another argument against the "going dark" claim is that before smartphones and the internet, the only conversations the FBI could monitor was through phonelines and mail. These were known to be easily monitored and I doubt there was much more criminal activity happening through those then than now. I would argue that the conversations that have gone online are the interactions that were previously happening in-person…

Yeah, these things are scary. My test for people who ask for these backdoors is to ask for them to hand me their unlocked mobile. I promise to not share any information I read/see. There is an expression in this area that I love (but I can't remember the exact phrase): If you follow anyone around for some small period of time, you will find them guilty of breaking the law.

"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." - Cardinal Richelieu (disputed)

Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#57

Post by alkonaut »

cies wrote: post #3

I dont understand why the US people still trust these agencies. FBI, CIA, NSA have all shown to act against the democracy in many cases. If they could be trusted, they could be trusted with a backdoor. Since they cannot be trusted, the backdoor only makes them a more dangerous enemy of the people.

What's the alternative to having law enforcement agencies at any level (whether that is on a regional or national level doesn't really matter?) with democratic oversight?

If the democratic oversight fails and transparency suffers, then the outcome will be less than ideal. But the answer is hardly "remove law enforcement authorities from level x", surely it must be improved transparency and oversight?

Also, no agency can be trusted with a back door. Back doors are available for all actors or no actor. An NSA back door to encryption is also a back door used by an authoritarian regime. There are no "exclusive" back doors.

Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#58

Post by cies »

garmaine wrote: post #16
cies wrote: post #3

I dont understand why the US people still trust these agencies. FBI, CIA, NSA have all shown to act against the democracy in many cases. If they could be trusted, they could be trusted with a backdoor. Since they cannot be trusted, the backdoor only makes them a more dangerous enemy of the people.

Why do you think we have any control or say over the situation?

Well, you shout really loud yr a democracy.

Basically saying you have no control is saying that the US is no democracy.

Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#59

Post by cies »

DocTomoe wrote: post #9
cies wrote: post #3

I dont understand why the US people still trust these agencies. FBI, CIA, NSA have all shown to act against the democracy in many cases. If they could be trusted, they could be trusted with a backdoor. Since they cannot be trusted, the backdoor only makes them a more dangerous enemy of the people.

This is a wrong premise. The US people don't have to trust them, ultimately, their opinion is not important. What is important is that whoever currently is in power considers them useful - which is easy to achieve. And no political candidate who is likely to take office will take a stand against what in the end will be the tools they use once they are elected. For the citizenry, the only way to deal with this situati…

Or fix the demoncracy back into a democracy.

Re: The FBI Should Stop Attacking Encryption

#60

Post by api »

_wldu wrote: post #20
cm2187 wrote: post #8

Another argument against the "going dark" claim is that before smartphones and the internet, the only conversations the FBI could monitor was through phonelines and mail. These were known to be easily monitored and I doubt there was much more criminal activity happening through those then than now. I would argue that the conversations that have gone online are the interactions that were previously happening in-person…

15 years ago, if I had said that society would build a tracking system and that most people would happily carry a tracker in their pocket and pay monthly fees to support the tracking networks, I would have been laughed out of the room. But that is what happened, and most people are oblivious to this fact.

Those devices have addictive properties, especially casual mobile games and social media.

In the past addictive properties were enough to get people to do absurd things like roll up leaves, light them on fire, and deliberately huff the smoke. That's arguably more harmful than what mobile devices do to us.

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