Ramblings of an old Doc

 

Last week I wrote about iOS 8 and the 5th Amendment, the first installment on this topic. I figured it wouldn't take long for the other shoe to drop.

The director of the FBI, James Comey feels that in the ‘post-Snowden’ era, the pendulum of distrust in the government has swung too far. He said that encryption software on smart devices will create a ‘black holes’ in which bad people can operate. He asked the question, “Are we so mistrustful of government and law enforcement that we’re willing to let bad guys walk away?”.

He also suggested the current administration may seek laws to force tech companies to create ‘backdoors’ for law enforcement to use for surveillance.

Unfortunately, ‘backdoors’ aren’t special, magic portals. They’re gaps in software security. They are vulnerable to any hacker, not just to law enforcement.

That’s why MS is patching ‘backdoors’ all the time, especially on ‘Patch Tuesdays’.

Jon Tanguy, senior technical marketing engineer from Micron, a maker of solid-state drives (SSDs) pointed out that not only are hackers smart and able to find backdoors, but any employee of a tech company who'd been involved in encryption deployment would be able to share that information.

Not to worry. Many SSD makers have flatly refused to put ‘backdoors’ into anything because frankly, what’s the point of having AES 256 bit or (coming soon) AES 512 bit encryption if there’s going to be a backdoor which will completely negate that encryption. When AES 512 bit encryption arrives, the government (and every hacker on earth) can fold up shop because it would take a super computer decades to break it.

Using an example, “Good news! We’re giving you a special injection to protect you from Ebola. Bad news: It will mean you have constant colds and influenza and may die broke of another infection or the injection’s side effects.”

Honestly? If you’re dead, you’re dead. Doesn’t matter one iota (to you) what killed you. So, please don’t give me every bug under the sun in order to protect me from one I stand little or no chance of getting.

Oh yes, that question Mr. Comey asked…the answer is yes, and could you please give me a score card so I’ll be able to tell who’s wearing which color hat, today?

Source:

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2835652/once-the-fbi-has-a-backdoor-into-your-smartphone-everyone-does.html


Comments (Page 1)
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on Oct 18, 2014

Sometimes Governments and people can go to far.  Why have passwords if they can be looked at?

on Oct 18, 2014

James Comley is playing the 'crime card.'  Its a variation on a theme that has been, and continues to be played by secretive portions of governments.  We have to negate your rights from the bill of rights in order to protect you from 'terrorists.' Same dance, same tune.  Sad.

on Oct 18, 2014

If finding and stopping terrorists means they occasionally look at my data, I could care less. I have nothing to hide and if it stops terrorists, I am all for it. 

on Oct 18, 2014

The problem is everyone will eventually be treated as (potential) terrorist. This is scary.

on Oct 18, 2014

Tom, without a proper warrant much of the Bill of Rights becomes meaningless.

The question isn't about "I have nothing to hide", since anything can be twisted and changed if they have access. 

It's about doing things lawfully. Law Enforcement has upped and upped the numbers of "requests" for information from ISPs. They endlessly play the fear card as Elana pointed out. They have combat gear most armies would envy, again for the "what if" that never materializes but engenders fear in regular folks unequipped with anything but allows endless spending to keep the factories churning...as if they aren't the first to cite "the lone wolf" every time their surveillance fails.

Better to keep them honest, and to keep the FISA courts honest with constant review. Nope...no backdoors. 

Any backdoor they establish will end up compromising security and result in identity theft, etc. By the way, that money ends up financing those bad guys, along with the money we pay for gas.

on Oct 18, 2014

I see your point Doc about the Bill of Rights, but if there is no other recourse in getting rid of terrorists, I personally would give up some of those rights just to do so. As far as backdoor's being opened, that would happen no matter what, as the greed and corruption of the human race is overcoming all morals in today's societies. 

on Oct 18, 2014

As I've said before, the notion that they have to know everything in order to know anything is BS.  Comey's comments just demonstrate the corrupt laziness of the FBI.  Even when they have terrorist information (see Tsarnaev), they fuck it up so why in the world would I want them reading my emails and texts, whether I have something to hide or not?  Remember how the evil little fuck Hoover used dirt (not crimes, just dirt) to control and subvert elected officials?  Given access to everything, they will go there.  They are incapable of not going there.  The FA is the last line of defense against tyranny.

on Oct 18, 2014

Tom's a terrorist!

on Oct 18, 2014

Daiwa

As I've said before, the notion that they have to know everything in order to know anything is BS. 

Correct.

Daiwa

Even when they have terrorist information (see Tsarnaev), they fuck it up so why in the world would I want them reading my emails and texts, whether I have something to hide or not?

9/11 as well as the Tsarnaevs.

 

 

on Oct 18, 2014

WebGizmos

Tom's a terrorist!

 

on Oct 18, 2014

The politics of fear... if there isn't something definite/proven to worry about, then we'll create it.

As for the bad guys walking away, well it's already too late.  Sadly, they slipped through the cracks and became government/officials.

on Oct 18, 2014

Don't do it. Your privacy is one of the utmost sacred rights we have. Also, you have the right to not incriminate your self, so if they can access your PC or phone they can review and distort any way they want. Don't trust the Gov.(local-Fed) and never will.

on Oct 18, 2014


Unfortunately, ‘backdoors’ aren’t special, magic portals. They’re gaps in software security. They are vulnerable to any hacker, not just to law enforcement.

That says it all, right there.  Hopefully Mr. Comey can find a more responsible solution to his dilemma.

on Oct 20, 2014

This isn't a time to be joking, with the Ebola threat the US is a country under siege.

on Oct 20, 2014

***couldn't care less

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