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Comment Re:Obfuscated python code? (Score 4, Interesting) 242

Sounds remarkably like security through obscurity to me. With the predictable outcome.

You have no right to feel secure if you only think you're secure assuming noone else examines your source code.

To what level do you take the paranoia, though?

As early as 1984 (hah!) it has been known that a compiler could be developed in such a way as to produce binaries containing a back door:

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?TheKenThompsonHack

The next level is CPU microcode. Where does it end? One day we can fab our own CPUs from Open Source designs ... but will that be enough?

Peace,
Andy.

Comment Re:Yes, and? (Score 4, Interesting) 237

by six025 (#44650415) Attached to: Report: Britain Has a Secret Middle East Web Surveillance Base

Whether Greenwald gave some stuff to the Independent or Snowden did that earlier is unknown.

But my guess would be the whole episode of the UK Gov't detaining Mr. Miranda and forcing The Guarding to shred some systems seriously pissed off the British Press. Releasing UK-specific material is most likely payback. Spreading it around to other papers is most likely a signal that "threaten the Guardian with prior restraint, you better be ready to shut down every paper in the UK".

GCHQ and Whitehall fucked up royally with that and they are now going to pay for threatening a major newspaper.

Just a guess, mind you.

Rather telling is that a) the story appears in the Independent and b) article makes no reference as to the source of the allegations, other than stating that the information was found in the documents leaked by Edward Snowden:

Information about the project was contained in 50,000 GCHQ documents that Mr Snowden downloaded during 2012. Many of them came from an internal Wikipedia-style information site called GC-Wiki. Unlike the public Wikipedia, GCHQ’s wiki was generally classified Top Secret or above.

The disclosure comes as the Metropolitan Police announced it was launching a terrorism investigation into material found on the computer of David Miranda, the Brazilian partner of The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald – who is at the centre of the Snowden controversy.

Prior to this story most UK articles appeared in the Guardian and clearly stated that Glenn Greewald provided the information. The game has changed, and I think it is going to get a whole lot uglier from here.

Peace,
Andy.

Submission + - UK gov destroyed Snowden drives .. (theguardian.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: 'The mood toughened just over a month ago, when I received a phone call from the centre of government telling me: "You've had your fun. Now we want the stuff back."`

'one of the more bizarre moments in the Guardian's long history occurred – with two GCHQ security experts overseeing the destruction of hard drives in the Guardian's basement just to make sure there was nothing in the mangled bits of metal which could possibly be of any interest to passing Chinese agents. "We can call off the black helicopters," joked one as we swept up the remains of a MacBook Pro.`

Comment SPAM (Score 1) 207

by six025 (#44440949) Attached to: More Encryption Is Not the Solution

Sad to say this but maybe spam serves a useful purpose after all, it's probably the most realistic option here save fixing the root cause of the problem. If everyone sends millions upon billions of spam emails, the system might be so overloaded as to become ineffective.

On a related note, I've often wondered what some spam emails with gibberish text actually mean. Maybe it's some kind of encrypted communication hiding in plain site - it only takes 1 message to get through to the intended recipient to be effective.

Peace,
Andy.

Comment Re:And that's the way it should be done (Score 4, Interesting) 126

There are no borders in the Internet. End of story.

There are no borders, anywhere - END OF STORY. ... except those invented by "man" for the purposes of control, so why would the internet be any different? Because it's cyber? ;-)

Anyway, I agree with the premise that there should be no borders on the 'net so just playing the devils advocate here. And I also truly believe that borders between countries now cause more problems than they solve, but that's just an ideal not the reality, unfortunately.

Peace,
Andy.

Comment Re:NSA too? (Score 2) 70

Does this mean the alleged NSA taps on major internet links that monitor all traffic would have to be reported as breaches too if an EU ISP discovers (or knowingly installs) one?

If you RTFA you would find out:

There are a few exceptions though – companies will not be required to pass on the data in cases where there are "justified national security reasons", companies like Facebook and Google who fall under Data Protection Direction, companies that take steps such as encryption of data.

Comment Re:Ruin the US wheat crop, get a prize! (Score 4, Insightful) 271

by six025 (#44057443) Attached to: Monsanto Executive Wins World Food Prize

Perhaps it is because the vast vast majority of the opposition to genetic engineering is coming from those with no background in agricultural or plant science and thus due to their complete lack of context it seems reasonable to them.

The real problem is "close source food chain" vs. "open source food chain". That is why GM food - Monsanto style - is bad. Really bad. Unfortunately the anti-GM movement has taken a different path of protesting against the science, rather than this very basic fact.

A closed source food chain is a major problem for everyone, except those who hold the patents.

Peace,
Andy.

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I've noticed several design suggestions in your code.

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