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Ask HN: How do you trust that your personal machine is not compromised?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you trust that your personal machine is not compromised?

#301

Post by Izkata »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #67
BLKNSLVR wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a backup NAS that's normally powered off, but it's scheduled to turn on, perform backup, shut down. It doesn't wake on LAN and there should be no way of knowing it exists outside of checking DHCP static addresses reservations - and now that I mention it, maybe I should remove it from there too. This minimises the size of the window, and network-snoopable information, required to compromise this set of backups.

I think, perhaps ignorantly, That may prevent some human being or intelligent agent specifically targeting your nas. I don't think it would help against situations where your primary system is being encrypted for a while, and thus your backups eventually get overwritten with bad stuff.

> and thus your backups eventually get overwritten with bad stuff.

I use rsync's --link-dest to get Time Machine-like backups so they can't be overwritten through the backup system itself. I don't take the "shut it down" precautions with this system the other person does, though I do have a separate in-place one that's strictly manual (as in I have to physically plug it in to update).

Re: Ask HN: How do you trust that your personal machine is not compromised?

#305

Post by noyoudumbdolt »

ignoramous wrote: post #111

ex-AOSP dev here Android and ChromiumOS are likely the most trustable computing platforms out there; doubly so for Android running on Pixels. If you don't prefer the ROM Google ships with, you can flash GrapheneOS or CalyxOS and relock the bootloader. Pixels have several protections in place: - Hardware root of trust: This is the anchor on which the entire TCB (trusted computing base) is built. - Cryptographic verifi…

[flagged]

Re: Ask HN: How do you trust that your personal machine is not compromised?

#306

Post by doc_gunthrop »

bo1024 wrote: post #142
andai wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it seems it is most further ahead of the mainstream OSes Noob here, I recall often hearing that iOS has superior security to Android. Has this situation reversed in the last few years, or was it never true?

Maybe you're thinking of privacy, not security? In terms of privacy, Android is "compromised" by default, i.e. Google collects and stores a ton of private information about you. I believe Apple used to be much better, and still is, but getting worse.

> In terms of privacy, Android is "compromised" by default, i.e. Google collects and stores a ton of private information about you.

Apple also does the same. Also, this only applies if you're running an Android device "out-of-the-box". Fortunately, there exist AOSP forks that mitigate this type of intrusion (e.g. GrapheneOS).

Re: Ask HN: How do you trust that your personal machine is not compromised?

#307

Post by fsflover »

jacooper wrote: post #188
bo1024 wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe you're thinking of privacy, not security? In terms of privacy, Android is "compromised" by default, i.e. Google collects and stores a ton of private information about you. I believe Apple used to be much better, and still is, but getting worse.

Both are one the same level at this point.

Not the same, but similar enough: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26639261.

Re: Ask HN: How do you trust that your personal machine is not compromised?

#308

Post by dehrmann »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #91
KineticLensman wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do you lock your computer every time you leave your desk? This was a corporate requirement where I used to work, unofficially reinforced by the local jokers who would rotate the screen and / or send prank messages if you didn't.

I was a big proponent of hasselhoffing unlocked computers (set up a wallpaper of David hasselhoff in his Bay watch days sprawling over desktop :)

I heard this was big at Rackspace.

Re: Ask HN: How do you trust that your personal machine is not compromised?

#310

Post by sneak »

7e wrote: post #274
ignoramous wrote: post #111

ex-AOSP dev here Android and ChromiumOS are likely the most trustable computing platforms out there; doubly so for Android running on Pixels. If you don't prefer the ROM Google ships with, you can flash GrapheneOS or CalyxOS and relock the bootloader. Pixels have several protections in place: - Hardware root of trust: This is the anchor on which the entire TCB (trusted computing base) is built. - Cryptographic verifi…

And yet law enforcement seems to be able to open up Android phones without issue, but has problems with iPhones. Is this still the case?

Law enforcement has never had problems with iPhones. iPhones in the default configuration back up all data to iCloud with Apple keys, allowing Apple and the FBI to read all of the photos and messages on a device at any time, without the device.

The "Apple vs FBI" thing was a coordinated PR campaign following the Snowden leaks to salvage Apple's reputation.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-fbi-icloud-exclusiv...

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