Comment So what? (Score 2) 130
If this is your first indication that someone might be reading your email or watching what you download, then you really need to think about how the 'net is structured.
As a systems administrator, I have total access to all the email that goes in and out of my system. I have access to every machine in the department, both over the network and physically. And I'm just one guy on one end of the chain. On the other end is someone else like me who has access to your systems.
Perhaps your logged into an ISP and those folks don't have direct access to your machine... they still have access to everything that goes in and out of the machine. And so does everyone between my site and yours. MCI/Sprint/whoever, has access to the packets that flow between. Institutional paranoia aside, think of all the individuals who work at those sites... care to trust each and every one of them?
Anyone want to guess what percentage of network traffic is clear text? Even if its encrypted, it's just a matter of CPU and time before anyone who wants to know what your sending can know it (believe strength of encryption being another topic).
So the feds can read your email. So what? So can I or someone like me.
Do not worry about questions like: are my methods of communiation private? They are not.
Instead work to ensure that those who can have access to your "private" conversations (email or otherwise), don't have the right to do anything with it.
The first step: VOTE next month. Pick your candidates at every level of office and then tell them what you want. It's that simple. And it's really all you can do about it.
Oh... and remember, sysadmins are usually bribable with a good import. Beer that is. Cars show up on the IRS radar.
As a systems administrator, I have total access to all the email that goes in and out of my system. I have access to every machine in the department, both over the network and physically. And I'm just one guy on one end of the chain. On the other end is someone else like me who has access to your systems.
Perhaps your logged into an ISP and those folks don't have direct access to your machine... they still have access to everything that goes in and out of the machine. And so does everyone between my site and yours. MCI/Sprint/whoever, has access to the packets that flow between. Institutional paranoia aside, think of all the individuals who work at those sites... care to trust each and every one of them?
Anyone want to guess what percentage of network traffic is clear text? Even if its encrypted, it's just a matter of CPU and time before anyone who wants to know what your sending can know it (believe strength of encryption being another topic).
So the feds can read your email. So what? So can I or someone like me.
Do not worry about questions like: are my methods of communiation private? They are not.
Instead work to ensure that those who can have access to your "private" conversations (email or otherwise), don't have the right to do anything with it.
The first step: VOTE next month. Pick your candidates at every level of office and then tell them what you want. It's that simple. And it's really all you can do about it.
Oh... and remember, sysadmins are usually bribable with a good import. Beer that is. Cars show up on the IRS radar.
