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[News] National 'Security' Agency Gets Cozy with Linux, Schneier Talks in Linux Conference

  • Subject: [News] National 'Security' Agency Gets Cozy with Linux, Schneier Talks in Linux Conference
  • From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:28:41 +0000
  • Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
  • Organization: Netscape / schestowitz.com
  • User-agent: KNode/0.10.4
NSA Released Guide to Secure Red Hat Linux

,----[ Quote ]
| It’s kind of ironic for an agency whose sole purpose is to spy on others 
| would release a guide to secure one’s system. NSA last month released a list 
| of guide to secure an operating system, but what we are interested most are 
| the guides to Secure RHEL 5.    
`----

http://www.linuxhaxor.net/2007/12/26/nsa-released-guide-to-secure-red-hat-linux/

Bruce Almighty: Schneier preaches security to Linux faithful

,----[ Quote ]
| Schneier is one of three keynote speakers at Linux.conf.au 2008 and speaks 
| with Dahna McConnachie about his presentation, books and thoughts. 
`----

http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1891124482

Schneier and the NSA are no friends. He exposed their dirty little schemes.

Watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sstDwKTCpM


Recent:

Dual_EC_DRBG Added to Windows Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has added the random-number generator Dual_EC-DRBG to Windows 
| Vista, as part of SP1. Yes, this is the same RNG that could have an NSA 
| backdoor.  
| 
| It's not enabled by default, and my advice is to never enable it. Ever.
`----

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/12/dual_ec_drbg_ad.html


Microsoft Sells Out to NSA... again!

,----[ Quote ]
| So before you go to the store and get that shiny new laptop, consider asking 
| the retailer to not put Windows on there because not doing so could end up 
| being a serious mistake.  
`----

http://binaryfreedom.info/node/282


Related:

Did NSA Put a Secret Backdoor in New Encryption Standard?

,----[ Quote ] 
| Which is why you should worry about a new random-number standard that 
| includes an algorithm that is slow, badly designed and just might contain a 
| backdoor for the National Security Agency.  
`----

http://www.wired.com/politics/security/commentary/securitymatters/2007/11/securitymatters_1115


,----[ Quote ]
| "Is this a good idea or not? For the first time, the giant software maker 
| is acknowledging the help of the secretive agency, better known for
| eavesdropping on foreign officials and, more recently, U.S. citizens as 
| part of the Bush..."
`----

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/01/nsa_helps_micro_1.html


Animal Rights Activists Forced to Hand Over Encryption Keys

,----[ Quote ]
| If you remember, this was sold to the public as essential for fighting 
| terrorism. It's already being misused. 
`----

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/11/animal_rights_a.html


Microsoft could be teaching police to hack Vista

,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft may begin training the police in ways to break the
| encryption built into its forthcoming Vista operating system.
`----

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2150555/microsoft-teaching-police-hack


UK holds Microsoft security talks

,----[ Quote ]
| "UK officials are talking to Microsoft over fears the new version of 
| Windows could make it harder for police to read suspects' computer files."
`----

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4713018.stm


For Windows Vista Security, Microsoft Called in Pros

,----[ Quote ]
| The NSA also declined to be specific but said it used two groups — a “red 
| team” and a “blue team” — to test Vista’s security. The red team, for 
| instance, posed as “the determined, technically competent adversary” to 
| disrupt, corrupt or steal information. “They pretend to be bad guys,” Sager 
| said. The blue team helped Defense Department system administrators with 
| Vista’s configuration .     
| 
| Microsoft said this is not the first time it has sought help from the NSA. 
| For about four years, Microsoft has tapped the spy agency for security 
| expertise in reviewing its operating systems, including the Windows XP 
| consumer version and the Windows Server 2003 for corporate customers.   
`----

http://www.manpreet.co.in/tech-stuff/microsoft-vista-developed-with-help-from-us-national-security-agency/


Microsoft patents the mother of all adware systems

,----[ Quote ]
| The adware framework would leave almost no data untouched in its quest to 
| sell you stuff. It would inspect "user document files, user e-mail files, 
| user music files, downloaded podcasts, computer settings, computer status 
| messages (e.g., a low memory status or low printer ink)," and more. How could 
| we have been so blind as to not see the marketing value in computer status 
| messages?     
`----

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070717-microsoft-patents-the-mother-of-all-adware-systems.html


Spy Master Admits Error

,----[ Quote ]
| Intel czar Mike McConnell told Congress a new law helped bring down a terror 
| plot. The facts say otherwise. 
`----

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20749773/site/newsweek/


FBI ducks questions about its remotely installed spyware

,----[ Quote ]
| There are plenty of unanswered questions about the FBI spyware that, as we 
| reported earlier this week, can be delivered over the Internet and implanted  
| in a suspect's computer remotely. 
`----

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9747666-7.html


United States Government Online Watchdogs? Part of the war on terror?

,----[ Quote
| Is there anyone in the abandonia community with a US based connection who is 
| experiencing this watchdog behavior? Are any foreign Vista users experiencing 
| similar attacks from their own countries ministries and governing agencies?"   
`----

http://www.whitedust.net/news/3984/United_States_Government_Online_Watchdogs?_Part_of_the_war_on_terror?.../


Encrypted E-Mail Company Hushmail Spills to Feds

,----[ Quote ]
| Hushmail, a longtime provider of encrypted web-based email, markets itself by 
| saying that "not even a Hushmail employee with access to our servers can read 
| your encrypted e-mail, since each message is uniquely encoded before it 
| leaves your computer."   
| 
| But it turns out that statement seems not to apply to individuals targeted by 
| government agencies that are able to convince a Canadian court to serve a 
| court order on the company.  
`----

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/11/encrypted-e-mai.html


No email privacy rights under Constitution, US gov claims

,----[ Quote ]
| This appears to be more than a mere argument in support of the 
| constitutionality of a Congressional email privacy and access scheme. It 
| represents what may be the fundamental governmental position on 
| Constitutional email and electronic privacy - that there isn't any. What is 
| important in this case is not the ultimate resolution of that narrow issue, 
| but the position that the United States government is taking on the entire 
| issue of electronic privacy. That position, if accepted, may mean that the 
| government can read anybody's email at any time without a warrant.       
`----

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/04/4th-amendment_email_privacy/


Can FOSS save your privacy?

,----[ Quote ]
| Well, the Bush regime has already claimed "we don't need no steenkin
| warrant" to listen to your phone calls, see what websites you visit,
| scan your emails, and now, with the revelation of a new
| "signing statement", it?s even claiming the authority to read your
| physical mail. When the government becomes the biggest threat to
| your privacy, you better take advantage of the legion of privacy
| advocates creating FOSS to help you retain what little bit of privacy
| you can still have.
| 
| [...]
| 
| However, just because your privacy is being threatened doesn't mean
| you have to accept it. There is a growing array of FOSS being
| developed to provide us with the ability to control our privacy.
| It's about time we all start using it.
`----

http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/blogs/can_foss_save_your_privacy


Duh! Windows Encryption Hacked Via Random Number Generator

,----[ Quote ]
| GeneralMount Carmel, Haifa – A group of researchers headed by Dr. Benny 
| Pinkas from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Haifa 
| succeeded in finding a security vulnerability in Microsoft's "Windows 2000" 
| operating system. The significance of the loophole: emails, passwords, credit 
| card numbers, if they were typed into the computer, and actually all 
| correspondence that emanated from a computer using "Windows 2000" is 
| susceptible to tracking. "This is not a theoretical discovery. Anyone who 
| exploits this security loophole can definitely access this information on 
| other computers," remarked Dr. Pinkas.        
| 
| Editors Note:  I believe this "loophole" is part of the Patriot Act, it is 
| designed for foreign governments.  Seriously, if you care about security, 
| privacy, data, trojans, spyware, etc., one does not run Windows, you run 
| Linux.   
`----

http://www.linuxelectrons.com/news/general/14365/duh-windows-encryption-hacked-via-random-number-generator


How NSA access was built into Windows

,----[ Quote ]
| A careless mistake by Microsoft programmers has revealed that
| special access codes prepared by the US National Security Agency
| have been secretly built into Windows.
| 
| [...]
| 
| The first discovery of the new NSA access system was made two years
| ago by British researcher Dr Nicko van Someren. But it was only a
| few weeks ago when a second researcher rediscovered the access
| system. With it, he found the evidence linking it to NSA.
`----

http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/5/5263/1.html


NSA Builds Security Access Into Windows

,----[ Quote ]
| A careless mistake by Microsoft programmers has shown that special access
| codes for use by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) have been secretly
| built into all versions of the Windows operating system.
`----

http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990903S0014

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