Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Blackphone

store.blackphone.ch

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 102 posts

Re: Blackphone

#81

Post by wmf »

Joeboy wrote: post #30
Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

> I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I don't really like this kind of anti-crypto argument. At this point I think making normal communications between normal people less embarrassingly mass-snoopable is a very worthy goal. For the time being, people who really, really have something to hide need to be extra careful (as has always been the case). Which is no…

making normal communications between normal people less embarrassingly mass-snoopable is a very worthy goal.

Too bad an unsubsidized special-purpose phone will only address a tiny fraction of normal people.

Re: Blackphone

#82

Post by lotsofcows »

rjzzleep wrote: post #12
Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

> When I need to communicate secretly I BUY SOMEONE A BEER. Hi Richard, it has come to our attention that you have been secretively discussing leaking government information to our enemy in a pub in central London. What's that you say? You didn't discuss private information? Then why did you try to conceal your handwriting on the napkin from our CCTV security cameras? We'd like to take you in for questioning. If you…

Blimey! Which pubs do you go to?

Re: Blackphone

#83

Post by avn2109 »

oceanstone wrote: post #55
Nrsolis wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Soviets used to have a custom of taking long walks in the park when they wanted to have a private conversation. It had the notable benefit of avoiding the hidden listening devices in their places of work/rest/play.

Great point. While you still could be spied on, for instance with a bug stuck onto your back or classified nano-drone (if it exists yet)... that would be extremely expensive. If they wanted you that bad, it's like, fine. Listen to me talk about my motorcycle. The issue with computers is they are so, so, so cost effective to tap & data mine. And storage just keeps getting cheaper. Hence, illegal mass surveillance. Als…

Probably the best idea would be to go swimming in the ocean with whomever you'd like to contact, since salt water and mechanical agitation probably diminish the reliability and functionality of most listening devices. But there's a continuum of practicality here. It's hard to imagine the Soviet commissars hopping in the water for an afternoon meeting.

Re: Blackphone

#84

Post by johnchristopher »

Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

That's going to be an expensive beer when you have to communicate secretly with someone on the other shore of the ocean.

Re: Blackphone

#85

Post by markmassie »

Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

What is UBL?

Re: Blackphone

#86

Post by 0xdeadbeefbabe »

Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

You love breaking this edge case to him as if it were the most important one. The adversary is more likely doing industrial espionage [1] and doesn't have those incomprehensibly limitless state-level resources.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_espionage

Re: Blackphone

#87

Post by markmassie »

manmal wrote: post #35
Nrsolis wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Soviets used to have a custom of taking long walks in the park when they wanted to have a private conversation. It had the notable benefit of avoiding the hidden listening devices in their places of work/rest/play.

There can be mikes in the park too, of course. In 1984 there are, IIRC.

The cameras are already there.

Re: Blackphone

#88

Post by pdubs »

epsylon wrote: post #42
Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

> I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. The creators acknowledged that fact [1]: "There is no such device that is NSA-proof," said Mike Janke, co-founder and CEO of Silent Circle, in an interview with Mashable, ahead of the launch. "If you are on the terrorist wanted list or a criminal, intelligence services will get into your device... There's no such thing a…

>(For a humorous take on nation-state threat models, read the hilarious usenix article This World of Ours by James Mickens: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/mickens/thisworld...)

"Security research is the continual process of discovering your spaceship is a deathtrap" has to be one of the most apt descriptions of security research I've ever heard. What a great read!

Re: Blackphone

#89

Post by malandrew »

Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

What are cutouts?

Re: Blackphone

#90

Post by lutusp »

malandrew wrote: post #89
Nrsolis wrote: post #5

I hate to break it to you, but this is not going to keep you safe from a state-level adversary. I could drone on about this for pages and pages, but the sad fact is that if you are a target, it doesn't matter that you are using a "secure phone", "secure OS", or "encryption". Time and time again, these systems have been broken or breached with simple tradecraft and subtle sabotage. The Pentagon has a concerted (and ex…

What are cutouts?

Google is a verb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut-out_(espionage)

Post reply on HN