NSA lawsuits

[lunchbox]

Not sure if this has been covered, but it certainly made my day :D http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/06/aclu-lawsuit-nsa-analysis/66139/

[Moose-Knuckle]

For those that haven't been keeping abreast . . .

NSA helped with Windows 7 development
Privacy expert voices 'backdoor' concerns, security researchers dismiss idea

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141105/NSA_helped_with_Windows_7_development

[SeriousStudent]

So........ folks have been complaining that the government should use its buying power to force vendors to build more secure hardware and software. I know, I'm an IT geek and I have been reading that refrain for well over a decade.

And government orgs like NIST and NSA have been publishing guidance for years on how to do exactly that - how to lock things down. I know, I have used their Gold CD's for years in my lab.

Honestly, this is about as big a deal as the Secret Service telling banks how to spot phony twenties.

I am damn well no apologist for either Microsoft or NSA. But sweet mother of Pearl, some of these idiots in the press are exactly that, idiots.

[Voodoochild]

So........ folks have been complaining that the government should use its buying power to force vendors to build more secure hardware and software. I know, I'm an IT geek and I have been reading that refrain for well over a decade.

And government orgs like NIST and NSA have been publishing guidance for years on how to do exactly that - how to lock things down. I know, I have used their Gold CD's for years in my lab.

Honestly, this is about as big a deal as the Secret Service telling banks how to spot phony twenties.

I am damn well no apologist for either Microsoft or NSA. But sweet mother of Pearl, some of these idiots in the press are exactly that, idiots.

You ever made the mistake of choosing auto remediate on those Gold disks. Lots of fun times await that person.

[SeriousStudent]

Only in the lab, my friend, only in the lab. :D

"Hey, I wonder what happens to a web server if you do this....."

[Renegade]

NSA helped with Windows 7 development
Privacy expert voices 'backdoor' concerns, security researchers dismiss idea

They have been working with Microsoft since Win95 at least.

The biggest problem is not what NSA puts into Windows Software, but what they have been able to keep out - namely encrypted email by default.

[SeriousStudent]

Thunderbird with Enigmail plus GnuPG is probably the easiest remedy for that, at least that I have found.

[Renegade]

Thunderbird with Enigmail plus GnuPG is probably the easiest remedy for that, at least that I have found.

Yes there are 3rd part solutions but the default products from MicroSoft and Apple do not. As a result, 99% of all email traffic is unencrypted.

[SeriousStudent]

Absolutely true, and always worth keeping in mind.