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Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

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Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#181

Post by SCHiM »

nickpsecurity wrote: post #161
SCHiM wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Security != encryption in every case. What you're describing is actually also what makes encryption stronger/easier than decryption: A priori there's only 1 correct plaintext, while there are limitless chipertexts of any given plain text (assuming arbitrary IV lengths and key). You can't change that and this is basically what makes encryption so much stronger than decryption.

Only two sentences were about encryption. The others mainly covered the foundations, like kernels or MMU's, encryption depends on or can be bypassed with. You should look up TEMPEST Level 1 safes, PC's, peripherals, and rooms. That's just EMSEC part tgat requires all thst because physics fights us. Then, look up NSA Type 1 hardware and physical separation with Red/Black model to see how you start on endpoints. Rad-ha…

Except of course I can create an unbreakable encryption with two pieces of paper and a pencil by constructing a one-time pad. And that encryption has nothing to do with computers except for the fact that doing encryption by hand would take ages these days and we therefore choose to delegate it.

The fact that our computers are too unreliable to be trusted with encryption does not mean that the universe does not favour encryption.

Unless you constantly keep inventing malicous hardware or hidden 'observers' in the paper and pencil scenario there's no way you can say that decryption is easier than decryption.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#182

Post by nickpsecurity »

SCHiM wrote: post #181
nickpsecurity wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only two sentences were about encryption. The others mainly covered the foundations, like kernels or MMU's, encryption depends on or can be bypassed with. You should look up TEMPEST Level 1 safes, PC's, peripherals, and rooms. That's just EMSEC part tgat requires all thst because physics fights us. Then, look up NSA Type 1 hardware and physical separation with Red/Black model to see how you start on endpoints. Rad-ha…

Except of course I can create an unbreakable encryption with two pieces of paper and a pencil by constructing a one-time pad. And that encryption has nothing to do with computers except for the fact that doing encryption by hand would take ages these days and we therefore choose to delegate it. The fact that our computers are too unreliable to be trusted with encryption does not mean that the universe does not favour…

I saw that counter coming. A little bit different, better argument. Several things in here. So, let's look at them.

re paper encryption

That was defeated regularly in the Cold War in a number of ways. Easy or not, the mathematical proof didn't translate directly into the real world due to human issues and physical ones like intercept or observation. FBI's crypo unit has been defeating custom pencil and paper ciphers of criminals for a long time, too. So, we can say the best, provable encryption makes the job more difficult if no observation of the act of encryption, KEYMAT, or decryption take place. That's a lot more limited than mathematicians pronouncements imply. ;)

re universe

"universe does not favor encryption"

Oh, I think it doesn't. For one, encryption only happened one time in known universe that we know of. When it did, it screwed up more often than it worked. Then, even the best forms are defeated by stuff above thanks to other properties of the universe. Universe seems to favor plain text to me. Its own codes are plain to observe, too. Obfuscated at worst.

re computers

That was a nice dismissal but computers are the whole point, right? We talk encryption that we're going to use on a computer most likely. Then someone says some stuff like how we can trust the math. Then I have to point out we run electrical impulses representing machine instructions, not math. Then the conversation drifts to pencil and paper or arcane stuff.

At least you admitted we can't trust the math on a computer because it doesn't represent what it does. Often not on pencil and paper either or in speech if under surveillance. So, we can't trust the math at all. It's always math + all kinds of circumstances and methods. Even then, we can only trust it with probability C as in odds of Compromise.

Re: Encryption, Privacy Are Larger Issues Than Fighting Terrorism

#183

Post by devishard »

ambicapter wrote: post #103
devishard wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want to be tracked when I go to work (or ever), but I have to bring my cell phone to work because I need it to do my job. So, yes it's a "choice": I can have my privacy or I can have my job.

Get a dumb phone for work.

That doesn't solve any problems.
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