<div dir="ltr">Recently, a lot of people have been talking and possibly even thinking about the<br>"<span class="" style>cryptopocalypse</span>", surveillance, and the ideal rate of exchange between liberty<br>and safety. I have been vaguely seeking the ideal derisive verse for a while,<br>
but this morning I finally realised that it has already been sung.<br><br>"When you believe in things <br> that you don't understand,<br> then you suffer."<br><br> - Stevie Wonder [1]<br><br>Without quibbling over minor points, I think it's reasonable to view the period<br>
since 2001 as one where privacy and fundamental individual liberties have been<br>at a steady ebb. Some might characterise it as the 'theft' of those things by<br>Governments, but really, it's not. It has been driven by fear, and the belief<br>
that "The Government" can provide protection against Dark Forces. However, it's<br>not the steady advance of ridiculous legislation that I want to focus on. Those<br>shavings of liberty can be counted where they fell, as a simple matter of public<br>
record.<br><br>What's interesting is the use of the tools that these Governments already have.<br>Nothing fundamental changed in the last few months. The NSA, <span class="" style>GCHQ</span>, MI5, <span class="" style>DSD</span><br>
didn't SUDDENLY ramp up any ops. They haven't gone rogue. They've just been<br>doing the same thing they've been doing for years, because people ASKED them for<br>protection, but weren't too bothered about asking for details. They may not have<br>
even had a concept of the missions of these organisations, except as a nebulous<br>part of "Government". They believed in things that they did not, fundamentally,<br>understand, and now we all suffer.<br><br>So now we, the super smart computer crowd, get to be all smug and "I told you<br>
so!", because we called it, just like that guy with no pants and a bird in his<br>beard.<br><br>What I find hilarious, however, is the reaction. "Tor is the BEST tool that<br>fails to fix a different but related problem!", "You should all use <span class="" style>CryptoCat</span><br>
because I say sorry every time I screw up!", "<span class="" style>Hemlis</span> messenger is totes<br>unbreakable, and has nice graphic design!", "5 Weird Tips to NSA-proof YOUR<br>life!", "Try Silent Circle! We have Beards!"<br>
<br>All of this rubbish is just as much Security Theatre as the shoe removals,<br>crotch-gropings and <span class="" style>warrantless</span> detention we've been enduring at airports.<br>Statically, you're just not a target, so it's ALL going to be as "100%<br>
Effective" as Werewolf Repellent. So go nuts, I guess. Use <span class="" style>CraptoCat</span> inside<br><span class="" style>TorBB</span> to update your location on <span class="" style>Facebook</span>. Whatever.<br>
<br>If you happen to actually BE a person of interest, however, "better than<br>nothing" is actually worse than nothing. If you had zero <span class="" style>crypto</span>, you might<br>actually think about the content and traffic / timing patterns of your <span class="" style>comms</span>. If<br>
you had no 'anonymisation' then you might actually give a shit when and from<br>where you connect. In either case you might give some measure of incredibly<br>serious thought to:<br><br>- The known capabilities of your anticipated adversary<br>
- Your operating risk<br>- Your worst case outcome<br><br>Because if you don't have a strong mental picture of these things BEFORE you<br>start deploying tools and being all <span class="" style>crypto</span>-ninja-slash-stealth-sexy-leopard,<br>
then you're going to see exactly what that worst case outcome looks like from<br>the inside.<br><br>I'm not saying it's "impossible". I'm just saying (to quote The <span class="" style>Grugq</span>) "<span class="" style>Nobody's</span><br>
going to go to jail for you", and that includes the authors of these new (and<br>old) "spook-proof" tools. The hard truth is that the only way to stay 'safe'<br>from state-level actors is going to involve a consistently disciplined<br>
regimen of tools, techniques and procedures, and any software that claims to<br>make it "easy" is flat-out lying.<br><br>Don't outsource understanding.<br><br>"When you believe in things<br> that you don't understand,<br>
then you suffer.<br> Superstition <span class="" style>aint</span> the way."<br><br>( please now allow the best <span class="" style>Clav</span> riff EVER to stick in your head )<br><br>Baby Seals,<br><br><span class="" style>ben</span><br>
<br>[1] <a href="http://www">http://www</a>.<span class="" style>youtube</span>.com/watch?v=wDZFf0pm0SE <br> (and if you need this WHY ARE YOU SO YOUNG??)<br><br></div>