Germans interested in similar news should check Felix von Leitners blog, who brings up interesting articles almost every day: http://blog.fefe.de/
And crazy conspiracy theories!
Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
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Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#12I'd be more worried if this was a backdoor in a popular program or operating system that was specified by the government and implemented by the original software author rather than more typical malware/trojan more akin to a wiretap. The former would be widespread and affect millions of users, while this appears to be a tool for use by law enforcement to carry out legitimate surveilance in criminal investigations. Presumably every modern government has such capabilities or they are really asleep at the switch.
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#13Germans interested in similar news should check Felix von Leitners blog, who brings up interesting articles almost every day: http://blog.fefe.de/
And crazy conspiracy theories!
It's a personal blog and as such he adds his own notion to the text but it has always been worthwhile for me to check the source articles (which are almost always renowned news agencies). You should always read the sources and make up your own mind, but i found his blog to be very good at finding those sources.
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#14I'd be more worried if this was a backdoor in a popular program or operating system that was specified by the government and implemented by the original software author rather than more typical malware/trojan more akin to a wiretap. The former would be widespread and affect millions of users, while this appears to be a tool for use by law enforcement to carry out legitimate surveilance in criminal investigations. Pre…
The main gripe the authors of the paper have is not that this trojan exists - there are indeed German laws that allow for such a trojan - but that it has been so insecurely implemented, and also collects information that cannot be identified as "communication" (which is a requirement for this German law).
Any data received from the command and control server is sent unencrypted and unchecked. Additionally, the trojan contains a "backdoor within a backdoor", which allows any code to be attached to the trojan and executed unchecked!
Moral issues of computer surveillance aside, this trojan is a shocking example of the German government's (if indeed this is a government effort) incompetence regarding the internet.
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#15I'd be more worried if this was a backdoor in a popular program or operating system that was specified by the government and implemented by the original software author rather than more typical malware/trojan more akin to a wiretap. The former would be widespread and affect millions of users, while this appears to be a tool for use by law enforcement to carry out legitimate surveilance in criminal investigations. Pre…
I would challenge the concept of the government carrying out "legitimate surveilance" through this dubious means.
The person surveiled has not been has not convicted of a crime yet the state has taken onto itself to install software that would leave the person open to further hacking by random individuals.
This is akin to the police not simply breaking into the house of a man they suspected of a crime but also them leaving his door a-jar after they left. See the Sony Rootkit.
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#16That's really a big deal and just shows how governments treat their own laws and how important an open government is, in which such things can be verified and controlled!
> That's really a big deal and just shows how governments treat their own laws...
Not really. My understanding is that German law permits trojans for surveillance.
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#17That's really a big deal and just shows how governments treat their own laws and how important an open government is, in which such things can be verified and controlled!
> That's really a big deal and just shows how governments treat their own laws... Not really. My understanding is that German law permits trojans for surveillance.
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
And crazy conspiracy theories!
It's a personal blog and as such he adds his own notion to the text but it has always been worthwhile for me to check the source articles (which are almost always renowned news agencies). You should always read the sources and make up your own mind, but i found his blog to be very good at finding those sources.
The crazy conspiracy theories are an advertised feature of his blog and I love them.
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#19POE = Purity of Essence?
Re: Possible Governmental Backdoor Found ("case R2D2")
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
While an open government would be ideal, it won't change the fact that the CIA or any government organization will never admit to working on viruses.
With an open government they wouldn't be able to do this in the dark. Also, they don't need to admit it, it's not like nobody knows that this software exists.
>With an open government they wouldn't be able to do this in the dark.
Please don't tell me you actually believe this.