patrick.net

Hmmm, this quietly disappeared from public conversation.

For Romney's cult members, his nomination to be the next commander in chief and the development of this facility must seem like fulfillment of prophecy. The rest of us will need to rephrase what we say online, even behind supposed anonymity.

I for one welcome our new Moron overlords. They seem so cheerful!

There is still one technology preventing untrammeled government access to private digital data: strong encryption. Anyone—from terrorists and weapons dealers to corporations, financial institutions, and ordinary email senders—can use it to seal their messages, plans, photos, and documents in hardened data shells. For years, one of the hardest shells has been the Advanced Encryption Standard, one of several algorithms used by much of the world to encrypt data. Available in three different strengths—128 bits, 192 bits, and 256 bits—it’s incorporated in most commercial email programs and web browsers and is considered so strong that the NSA has even approved its use for top-secret US government communications. Most experts say that a so-called brute-force computer attack on the algorithm—trying one combination after another to unlock the encryption—would likely take longer than the age of the universe. For a 128-bit cipher, the number of trial-and-error attempts would be 340 undecillion (1036).

Don't consider web browser encryption to be any kind of safeguard. The NSA has half of the key used by all browsers. So they only have to break a 64-bit cipher instead of a 128-bit one. That's exponentially easier.

If you want privacy, generate your own keys and encrypt with real encryption products like True Crypt. It's free. It's easy. It works.

Dan8267 says

If you want privacy, generate your own keys and encrypt with real encryption products like True Crypt.

What do you think of Tor?

Three reasons wrong with this thread

1) You think you're so important that the government wants to spy on you

2) You have something to hide, fraud, child porn exc.

3) You're ok with letting criminals and pedephiles get away with whatever they can under the guise of "privacy" just so you have the piece of mind knowing that nobody searched the files on your computer (as if you were important enough for them to care)

snyderkv says

You think you're so important that the government wants to spy on you

Well, since the world revolves around me, of course they'd want in on such scintilatting conversations as the facebook convos between me and my niece, who is 9. We talk about her little brother's poopy diapers. (diaper bombs)

snyderkv says

You have something to hide, fraud, child porn exc.

I stole a road sign when I was 17, with a bunch of drunk friends. My guilt is overwhelming, if only because people won't know that they're entering the town of Virgin without that sign...

snyderkv says

You're ok with letting criminals and pedephiles get away with whatever they can under the guise of "privacy"

Without a court order, the gub'mint shouldn't be allowed to access anything. No gps on cars, no access to my personal communications, no taking of my guns (9mm), no entering my home or videotaping me or planting evidence or coercing me into making a statement about things I've done, such as stealing a road sign 30 years ago...

OMG!!! You're from the gub'mint! Caught ya!!!

curious2 says

What do you think of Tor?

Good idea. Not fast enough for everyday use and I wouldn't want to mooch off Tor because there are people in other countries that need it to get access to information. For example, China.

elliemae says

people won't know that they're entering the town of Virgin without that sign...

I want to go to a protest march carrying a sign saying "END CONSTRUCTION"

SO this is an article on Big Brother, but the first 5 paragraphs are more partisan bullshit. Those Religious Conservative polygamists are baaaaad!

Never mind it was a Liberal majority and a Liberal President that passed the legislation that makes this building and what they do inside possible.

Capt, good point. BOTH parties love the spying. BOTH.