EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs. • Hacker News Board

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#11

Post by jscn » Sun, Jan 04, 2009, 10:33 PM UTC

kajecounterhack wrote: post #3

Ideological concerns aside, I don't really see that much of a problem in law enforcement hacking personal computers. For one thing, it just might stimulate the crypto and computer security industries. For another, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? I mean, if they start cracking down on pirated software and whatever, that might be a little bit of an issue... ...but not if you don't pirate. ;)

there shouldn't be anything to hide, right?

As ususal with privacy concerns, that is decidedly not the point.

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#12

Post by pmorici » Sun, Jan 04, 2009, 11:36 PM UTC

kajecounterhack wrote: post #3

Ideological concerns aside, I don't really see that much of a problem in law enforcement hacking personal computers. For one thing, it just might stimulate the crypto and computer security industries. For another, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? I mean, if they start cracking down on pirated software and whatever, that might be a little bit of an issue... ...but not if you don't pirate. ;)

Everyone has something to hide. You have photos of Big Ben and a degree in electronics? Translates into, "This guy is possibly planning to bomb a clock tower."

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#13

Post by gojomo » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 1:27 AM UTC

If you use Google Desktop, and enable the 'Search Across Computers' feature, they don't even have to 'hack' your machine. They can just ask Google for a full index of what's on your machine!

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Desktop#Privacy

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#14

Post by kajecounterhack » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 1:55 AM UTC

jscn wrote: post #11

kajecounterhack wrote: post #3

Ideological concerns aside, I don't really see that much of a problem in law enforcement hacking personal computers. For one thing, it just might stimulate the crypto and computer security industries. For another, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? I mean, if they start cracking down on pirated software and whatever, that might be a little bit of an issue... ...but not if you don't pirate. ;)

there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? As ususal with privacy concerns, that is decidedly not the point.

ideological concerns aside

So what is the point?

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#15

Post by silentbicycle » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 2:16 AM UTC

pmorici wrote: post #12

kajecounterhack wrote: post #3

Ideological concerns aside, I don't really see that much of a problem in law enforcement hacking personal computers. For one thing, it just might stimulate the crypto and computer security industries. For another, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? I mean, if they start cracking down on pirated software and whatever, that might be a little bit of an issue... ...but not if you don't pirate. ;)

Everyone has something to hide. You have photos of Big Ben and a degree in electronics? Translates into, "This guy is possibly planning to bomb a clock tower."

"If you give me six lines written by the most honest man, I will find something in them to hang him." —Cardinal Richelieu

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#16

Post by sown » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 2:18 AM UTC

kajecounterhack wrote: post #3

Ideological concerns aside, I don't really see that much of a problem in law enforcement hacking personal computers. For one thing, it just might stimulate the crypto and computer security industries. For another, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? I mean, if they start cracking down on pirated software and whatever, that might be a little bit of an issue... ...but not if you don't pirate. ;)

I may not have anything to hide but I'm NOT a criminal so I shouldn't be treated as such.

Also, your position is somewhat selfish. Just because you don't care about your rights doesn't mean you can do the same to mine.

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#17

Post by jauco » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 7:47 AM UTC

kajecounterhack wrote: post #14

jscn wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? As ususal with privacy concerns, that is decidedly not the point.

ideological concerns aside So what is the point?

that you can't just shove ideological concerns aside.

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#18

Post by iheartrms » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 8:29 AM UTC

silentbicycle wrote: post #4

kajecounterhack wrote: post #3

Ideological concerns aside, I don't really see that much of a problem in law enforcement hacking personal computers. For one thing, it just might stimulate the crypto and computer security industries. For another, there shouldn't be anything to hide, right? I mean, if they start cracking down on pirated software and whatever, that might be a little bit of an issue... ...but not if you don't pirate. ;)

One problem with any crypto technique is that you can never know for certain that it hasn't already been broken , you just know about vulnerabilities that have been disclosed.

If you have everything encrypted and follow proper procedures (choose a good passphrase, don't tell anyone, don't enter it on untrusted terminals over plaintext links etc) and suddenly the police are showing up with all kinds of stuff encrypted by people using this algorithm in court they have tipped their hand. My understanding is that any evidence must be legally obtained and they have to explain how they obtained it for it to be admissable. IANAL

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#19

Post by kajecounterhack » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 8:30 AM UTC

jauco wrote: post #17

kajecounterhack wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ideological concerns aside So what is the point?

that you can't just shove ideological concerns aside.

ideals are one thing, but practicality is another. ever heard of machiavelli?

Re: EU Police learning hacking tricks. They are about to “Remote search” your PCs.

#20

Post by humbaba » Mon, Jan 05, 2009, 9:54 AM UTC

As usual with such articles, this one too is low on facts and references and high on drama and exaggeration. They (the Council) don't just "decide" that from now on this is going to be legal. For it to be legal it has to become a law, and to become a law it has to pass through Parliament, a highly unlikely scenario.