Notices

1. Doc Edward Morbius ⭕​ (dredmorbius@toot.cat)'s status on Saturday, 24-Apr-2021 00:39:19 CEST Doc Edward Morbius ⭕​

   in reply to

   • Tsundoku Psychohazard
   • Nate Cull

   @natecull Crypto AG clarifies to me much of the "outlaw strong crypto" and "lawful access" (a/k/a mandated backdoors) proposals.

   Thinking about that earlier today (before seeing your toot), I realised that the whole #SecurityByObscurity discussion was missing a major insight.

   For much of the Cold War period, the operational standard has been instead #InsecurityByObscurity

   Crypto AG was an allegedly secure system which was, obscure to the public, insecure. And that insecurity (along with fear, suprise, ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope), seems to have been a key element of US (and #FiveEyes) surveillance capabilities from the 1950s onward. (I'm aware Crypto AG's role under the CIA begain ~1970.)

   But yeah, insecurity by obscurity as an operational norm. Describes much of the present Web as well.

   @enkiv2

   • Nate Cull (natecull@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 24-Apr-2021 00:39:20 CEST Nate Cull

     • Tsundoku Psychohazard

     I missed this Feb 2020 Washington Post article about the Crypto AG saga.

     Presumably Microsoft, Amazon and Google and their Cloud services have now more than replaced what Crypto meant for United States global signals-intelligence supremacy.

     This power will certainly never be abused by those who hold it, because abuse of power by intelligence agencies or private corporations is never a thing that has ever happened before in the entire history of the world.

     https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/national-security/cia-crypto-encryption-machines-espionage/

     h/t/ @enkiv2

     Ekaitz Zárraga 👹 repeated this.