Infosec 101 for Activists • Hacker News Board

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#21

Post by Terr_ » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:05 AM UTC

KennyBlanken wrote: post #6

sitkack wrote: post #4

National Lawyers Guild Know Your Rights reminder: Shut the f** up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWEpW6KOZDs https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/stopped-by-police

That video, unfortunately, is out of date. The USSC recently decided that if you are merely silent that means you waive your right to remain silent. I wish I were making that up. You now have to repeatedly state it. The USSC has been off the rails for at least ten years.

Not only that, but do not say say "Gimme a lawyer, dawg" or else corrupt police will maliciously pretend you were merely asking for a legally trained canine, and another incompetent judge might let them get away with it.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/10/suspect-asks-for...

But in all seriousness: Do not be afraid to sound like a fool making short, unambiguous, and repeated requests for a lawyer if you have to.

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#22

Post by monero-xmr » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:10 AM UTC

Remember when the FBI and NSA were trying to outlaw encryption? Like a couple years ago? How the turn tables!

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#23

Post by snypher » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:13 AM UTC

sitkack wrote: post #14

KennyBlanken wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That video, unfortunately, is out of date. The USSC recently decided that if you are merely silent that means you waive your right to remain silent. I wish I were making that up. You now have to repeatedly state it. The USSC has been off the rails for at least ten years.

Not a lawyer, but the advice they give is still good opsec. Don't talk to anyone except your lawyer. If you are arrested, then yes you do have to assert your right to remain silent. https://www.justia.com/criminal/procedure/miranda-rights/rig... Invoke the right and stay silent. Do not answer the obvious bullshit questions, those are used as bait, once you start answering any questions, you lose your 5th amendment pr…

My understanding is you can stop answering at any time and invoke, but of course this is used by police to start you talking in the first place.

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#24

Post by riffic » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:16 AM UTC

KennyBlanken wrote: post #6

sitkack wrote: post #4

National Lawyers Guild Know Your Rights reminder: Shut the f** up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWEpW6KOZDs https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/stopped-by-police

That video, unfortunately, is out of date. The USSC recently decided that if you are merely silent that means you waive your right to remain silent. I wish I were making that up. You now have to repeatedly state it. The USSC has been off the rails for at least ten years.

the standard abbreviation is SCOTUS

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#25

Post by s1mplicissimus » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:17 AM UTC

sitkack wrote: post #14

KennyBlanken wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That video, unfortunately, is out of date. The USSC recently decided that if you are merely silent that means you waive your right to remain silent. I wish I were making that up. You now have to repeatedly state it. The USSC has been off the rails for at least ten years.

Not a lawyer, but the advice they give is still good opsec. Don't talk to anyone except your lawyer. If you are arrested, then yes you do have to assert your right to remain silent. https://www.justia.com/criminal/procedure/miranda-rights/rig... Invoke the right and stay silent. Do not answer the obvious bullshit questions, those are used as bait, once you start answering any questions, you lose your 5th amendment pr…

getting you to answer easy questions is the first psychological step in the door. salesmen (and amusingly enough many activists) know this

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#26

Post by numpad0 » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:25 AM UTC

globalnode wrote: post #7

This is ridiculous, just don't use a network of any kind or you'll be tracked by someone somewhere. Simple as that. Misleading people into thinking they can use these tools and be safe is dangerous. I suppose the only way to be safe is to assume you're being tracked somehow and use burners or throw aways that don't matter.

Yeah, the reality of amateur clandestine operations is that you have to put down your phone.

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#27

Post by redeux » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:26 AM UTC

monero-xmr wrote: post #22

Remember when the FBI and NSA were trying to outlaw encryption? Like a couple years ago? How the turn tables!

I’m not sure I understand why the tables are turned now.

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#28

Post by calt » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:33 AM UTC

globalnode wrote: post #7

This is ridiculous, just don't use a network of any kind or you'll be tracked by someone somewhere. Simple as that. Misleading people into thinking they can use these tools and be safe is dangerous. I suppose the only way to be safe is to assume you're being tracked somehow and use burners or throw aways that don't matter.

This advice is unhelpful. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Cell phones are a useful tool for coordinating and communicating.

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#29

Post by giantg2 » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:34 AM UTC

some_furry wrote: post #10

fooqux wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why? I've personally seen more news articles about Tor users getting de-anonymized than I have VPN users. Purely anecdotal, I know, but the point being Tor is obviously not foolproof, so I am curious why recommending one over the other is apparently enough for you to call the entire article into question.

> Why? Because if I was running SIGINT at the NSA and collaborating with the FBI to arrest activists, the very first thing I would do is start up a bunch of VPN providers that bill themselves as "private" and then log everything aggressively. The second thing I would do is have useful idiots (i.e., influencers) spread vague anecdotes about Tor users being "de-anonymized" when VPN users are never "anonymized" to begin…

Or you spin up a bunch of Tor nodes to de-anonymize user on that system.

Re: Infosec 101 for Activists

#30

Post by blackeyeblitzar » Wed, Feb 05, 2025, 2:36 AM UTC

pstuart wrote: post #3

A bit of a tangent, but modern protests are subject to hijacking from agents provocateur and general shit stirrers -- it's been quite effective in delegitimizing public protests. It would be nice to find ways to counter that. Case in point: how BLM protests were turned into riots by antagonistic forces: https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-helped-ignite-george-floyd-rio...

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