Interesting. Draw your own conclusions.
Author of "secure" operating systems the NSA
Snowden claims that the NSA has direct access to ISP's ISP's deny it.

Just have to wonder about that. Spooks are pretty good at their jobs. Wouldn't surprise me at all if it has a nice, quite complex to trigger, zero day backdoor built in.

OBW on an oddball non-standard port number, you don't think I run services on standard port numbers do you?, my machine logged a dozen attempts from an IP in China to log on.

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my machine logged a dozen attempts from an IP in China to log on.

90% of the worlds hacking comes from there. That country is more of a threat to the Western world than Russia ever was duing[sic] the cold war.

You severely underestimate Soviet Russia.

---

You severely underestimate Soviet Russia.

Next Week Hustlin'Hussein puts HIS Flexibility Into Action. Russia going to Put A Stick About OBlabby's Head. No Timeline Required.

Bound For IT.

---

May we All have a METAMORPHOSIS. REASON. GOoD JUDGEMENT and LOVE and ORDER!!!!!

Hey! Right wingers!
Where was all the hand wringing back when Bush and Cheney brought in the "Patriot Act"?
Where was all the angst? Where were the questions over the loss of liberties and freedoms?
Nothing has changed since the Bush administration started this shit.

Yeah, I'm angry that both our governments are acting like peeping toms. I'm angry about the collection of more data than they can ever use and I'm angry that there's been no uproar over it.

Along with my anger, I'm also pissed off at you rightists making all these squeaking noises after the frigging fact.
The time to squeak with conviction was back in the Bush/Cheney days. Now it just comes across as a weasley effort to make the black guy look bad as you try to appear concerned about freedom.

---

I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Taken from the Free Julian Assange site...

Given all the recent "revelations" about the NSA listening in on conversations, I've been walking around shaking my head in wonderment. As someone who specializes in system security, I've been telling people for at least the past two years that the NSA has been doing this for years, and now people are acting all shocked, shocked I tell you, about it. C'mon folks... we don't live in wonderland. Don't act all surprised and hurt and offended about it now. You decided to allow this to happen a long time ago when you forgot to protest the Patriot act. You allowed this to happen when you didn't call for Bush Jr, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice's indictments as war criminals. You allowed this to happen when you didn't howl for Reagan and Bush Sr. impeachment and arrest for their involvement in the Iran-Contra business. You allowed it to happen when you screamed for the head of a President who got a blow job in the oval office (as if he were the first to get his rocks off there) instead of throwing Oliver North in Guantanamo. Every time we've failed to indict a political criminal in this country, we've been giving the school bully a little bit more of our lunch money. And now we're carrying his books back and forth to school and you're all shocked?

Realize a few basic truths: Capitalism does not equal Patriotism and if a corporation is a person, then every employee in that corporation from the CEO to the janitor, should be subject to the same scrutiny as you and I. Every "secret" corporate memo is in fact subject to surveillance just as your and my phone calls and emails are. Being an American means being rewarded for hard work and showing the rest of the world that individual achievement is only truly possible when all are given the opportunity. That's the "American Way" that built this country. Being an American does not mean being rewarded because your daddy is rich or because you're more clever at screwing someone over or because you've conned a bunch of poor people in the backwoods that they are temporarily discommoded millionaires.

Given the definition of "American" as it applied to the pre-Kennedy era, there is a great shortage of Americans in the United States of America today. We have become a loose coalition of warring tribes, jealous of each others fortunes, and falsely claiming our moral and economic superiority over the rest of the world while being totally lacking in moral courage and blithely ignorant of the disdain with which we are held by the majority of the rest of the world... not because we are wealthy and have something they don't - neither of these things being true - but because we are hypocritical enough to claim that we are the standard bearers of democracy and the true warriors of liberty, when in reality we have sacrificed our republic for the sake of a cancerous economic ideology and sold our birthright of freedom for empty words and a smile from Representatives who we should be taking to task for betraying the ideals of liberty. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves, but I don't think we have the courage to do so, much less the courage to make the changes necessary to earn the sobriquet: "American."

...
I wrote the other post before coming across this one.

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Now it just comes across as a weasley effort to make the black guy look bad as you try to appear concerned about freedom.

I hope I don't get accused of making a racist comment because it isn't meant to be one, but over the pond many of us think that a fair proportion of America just didn't want a black President full stop. But these days it is very non-pc to say so.

I wasn't worried about any of your posts Chris S.
I'm just astounded at the way right wingers turn on and off as they are told to.
Where was their outrage during that idiot Bush's time in office?

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I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Robert:

I been opposed to the Patriot Act since before it became law. I did what I could to get the sheep to see what was going to happen if they allowed it to become law. They were blind. They believe that there will never be a rat ass bastard in the government. They wear rose colored glasses and believe in fairy tales.

We have a large number of people in this country who want government in all things financial, they call themselves democrats.

We have a large number of people in this country who what government in all things bedroom, they call themselves republicans.

They got together and as this program can serve both their goals, it got passed. It gets the government in everyone's business. Whenever those two groups of rat ass bastards get together on something it is generally bad for the country.

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot like me who are orthogonal and don't want government in the people's lives.

Now excuse me while I continue to bitch about the nanny state that the filthy republicans and democrats want to impose.

Don't get me started what the money laundering rules have imposed!

As for the Verizon stuff, worst kept secret I know of. Every landlord that has a cell site in America knows about it. It is a profit center for them. That government equipment closet they get a rent check for ...

Speaking of that, why are the ISP's or cell carriers going to pitch a bitch. The government is handing them cash for the records. It is a profit center.

Back to you regularly scheduled programming.

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Unfortunately, there aren't a lot like me who are orthogonal

Thankfully!

Yep, you wouldn't be nany'd if there were. You would have to think for yourself. You would have to fend for yourself. But you would be free and not a "subject."

---

When Bush enacted the Patriot Act (which he didn't, congress did and he agreed), we trusted he wouldn't abuse that power and had faith he'd use that power to protect the American people from another 9/11. His term expired and now we have someone else who said he'd stop it if he got elected. Well? He didn't stop it when he easily *could* have stopped it with his democrat majority in the 110th congress and now we find out he cannot be trusted with it.

This is funny. You trusted Bush but do not trust Obama with this power.
I trust neither and am on record as being opposed to the moronic and cowardly Patriot Act.

I wish I could talk more about the specifics of the implementation of the Patriot Act. I was read into multiple compartments when I was active duty (including the one that covers the topic of this thread) and all I can tell you is that we were on the "up and up" about protecting U.S. Citizen's constitutional rights the whole time I was actively participating. Since I was debriefed, we've had a change of administration and I don't know what's changed since then. My gut feeling is we've had the Patriot Act long enough and it needs to be stopped immediately. And we need to figure out other ways to try to protect the American people from another 9/11.

This is an internet forum. You can claim all of the insider knowledge you want but it doesn't make it believable.
I should know based on my own experiences as a commander in an elite special forces unit and my years as a counter espionage agent.
I still have access to secret files that even top level political leaders are not.

See how easy it is to become a self important bullshitter online from your basement?

---

I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

See how easy it is to become a self important bullshitter online from your basement?

Internet Tough Guy. Yeah, You Look Bad Ass in your LITTLE BOAT with its TINY Motor. ROTFLMAO.

Oh yeah. Nice Hat and Square Jaw. Tough Guy.

Bound For IT IT.

---

May we All have a METAMORPHOSIS. REASON. GOoD JUDGEMENT and LOVE and ORDER!!!!!

If I wore a placard outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue saying "Obama is a crap President" I'd either be arrested or moved on.

I think not.

If you came to Hyde Park Corner on a Sunday and wore a placard saying "Cameron is a crap Prime Minister" you'd just be ignored.

Free? Yes I think we are. Loyal subjects? Yes of course we are.

BTW I know a person who while talking to a member of the Presidential Protection detail suggested the President should be tried and shot. Nothing happened. What would the reaction of your government be to a suggestion delivered to the protection detail that the PM should be shot?

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That picture is about some nutter protesting about an Anti nuclear peace vigil. That has got nothing to do with saying directly that the President is crap.

If you say so.

BTW I know a person who while talking to a member of the Presidential Protection detail suggested the President should be tried and shot. Nothing happened.

I suggest you change your circle of acquaintances!

Why? Seems to be an all around good guy. Doubt he would have the plaque from the President on the wall if he wasn't.

What would the reaction of your government be to a suggestion delivered to the protection detail that the PM should be shot?

They would assume that he was a Daily Mail reporter, and treat him accordingly.

Gary, I am not trying to pick a fight with you, you just carry on being hexagonal or whatever, we will agree to disagree.

I'll just leave you with the words of one of your PM's
Winston Churchill wrote:

The United States is a land of free speech. Nowhere is speech freer — not even here where we sedulously cultivate it even in its most repulsive form.

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Now we know where Sirius is coming from!

+1

---

See how easy it is to become a self important bullshitter online from your basement?

Internet Tough Guy. Yeah, You Look Bad Ass in your LITTLE BOAT with its TINY Motor. ROTFLMAO.

Oh yeah. Nice Hat and Square Jaw. Tough Guy.

Bound For IT IT.

Whatever.
It's me and I put my name to everything I've ever written in here.
I'm not some anonymous troll shotgunning moronic libertarian garbage.

---

I do not fight fascists because I think I can win.
I fight them because they are fascists.
Chris Hedges

A riot is the language of the unheard. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whatever.
It's me and I put my name to everything I've ever written in here.
I'm not some anonymous troll shotgunning moronic libertarian garbage.

Anyone can Harvest a Picture and Bio and Say: It's Me! And have "Other" Internet "Buds" say: It's Him! I've met him, Skyped him and talked to him.

Ever been Sued for 6 figures for What you've written on the Internet?

Gooba Gabba Gooba Gabba Gooba Gabba.

Got Snooped by Da Spooks? Got Entitlements? Got Higher Premiums? Got Higher Taxes? Got Less Take Home Pay? Got JObs JObs JObs?. Got Hope. Care Anymore about Change?

You Get What You Vote For.

Rand Paul for President 2016

Bound For IT IT.

---

May we All have a METAMORPHOSIS. REASON. GOoD JUDGEMENT and LOVE and ORDER!!!!!

The Spook news rumbles on, but to any effect?


Google mounts legal challenge to surveillance gag orders

... Google is the first firm to issue a formal legal petition, albeit a limited one.

How much attention the court will take of Google's petition remains to be seen, but it's a canny PR move by the Chocolate Factory. Google staffers tell El Reg that the current situation is causing real concern among management that the company may be losing the goodwill of its users...


NSA: We COULD track you by your phone ... if we WANTED to

Officials from the National Security Agency (NSA) have confirmed that the agency has the ability to track the location of any phone in the US...


NSA whistleblower to tech firms, Obama: 'Grow a pair!'

Ed Snowden: Email tracking grabs 'IPs, raw data, content, headers, attachments, everything'...


Julian Assange: Google's just an arm of US government

... The blond hacker claimed that Google and the State Department work closely together, with the ad giant "doing stuff the government and CIA can't do".

"At this level of American society, it's all musical chairs," he added.

As evidence for this, the pale one pointed to WikiLeaks cables which appear to show intelligence agents were concerned that Google staff were running secret missions around the world, possibly at the behest of the US government.

Although this cannot be confirmed, recent stories do show that Google is keen to win favour with senators and other power brokers, though presumably in this economy, most governments prefer cold hard cash to favours. The Chocolate Factory spent $18.2m on Washington lobbyists last year, more than any other tech firm...



All in our only world,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The Spook news rumbles on, but to any effect?


Google mounts legal challenge to surveillance gag orders

... Google is the first firm to issue a formal legal petition, albeit a limited one.

How much attention the court will take of Google's petition remains to be seen, but it's a canny PR move by the Chocolate Factory. Google staffers tell El Reg that the current situation is causing real concern among management that the company may be losing the goodwill of its users...


NSA: We COULD track you by your phone ... if we WANTED to

Officials from the National Security Agency (NSA) have confirmed that the agency has the ability to track the location of any phone in the US...


NSA whistleblower to tech firms, Obama: 'Grow a pair!'

Ed Snowden: Email tracking grabs 'IPs, raw data, content, headers, attachments, everything'...


Julian Assange: Google's just an arm of US government

... The blond hacker claimed that Google and the State Department work closely together, with the ad giant "doing stuff the government and CIA can't do".

"At this level of American society, it's all musical chairs," he added.

As evidence for this, the pale one pointed to WikiLeaks cables which appear to show intelligence agents were concerned that Google staff were running secret missions around the world, possibly at the behest of the US government.

Although this cannot be confirmed, recent stories do show that Google is keen to win favour with senators and other power brokers, though presumably in this economy, most governments prefer cold hard cash to favours. The Chocolate Factory spent $18.2m on Washington lobbyists last year, more than any other tech firm...



All in our only world,
Martin

I wouldnt be so smug as to imply that its just the US where google is in cahoots with the black ops guys. Maybe googles only way in the early days to stay profitable was by selling out.

PS and Martin, I like the All in our only world.

---

[/quote]

Old James

I wouldnt be so smug as to imply that its just the US where google is in cahoots with the black ops guys. Maybe googles only way in the early days to stay profitable was by selling out.

PS and Martin, I like the All in our only world.

All a question of 'reasonable' balance?...


This is indeed the world we are making for ourselves. Or is it that apathy rules to allow everyone to then be uncomfortably ruled by others until a Revolution rolls by?...

All a part of our only world?
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Three very current contrasts for a contrast:


Do dark networks aid cyberthieves and abusers?

... Browsing these dark nets, especially Tor, is a sobering experience, said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at security company F Secure.

"Everything goes," he said. ...

... Of course, said Mr Hypponen, it was likely that a lot of the goods and services being offered were actually scams seeking to steal from the gullible.

Despite this, he said, it was clear that some users of these networks were serious. Some domains run via the dark nets act as sharing points for illegal material - be that pirated movies or images of abuse. Investigations into who is behind the services being offered on these networks are largely futile, he said. ...

... For Mick Moran, Interpol's acting assistant director of cybersecurity and crime, who has spent years pursuing abusers, there is only one answer to that question.

"Tor as a concept is quite flawed," he said.

He described its supporters as "cyber-utopians" who mistakenly believe it, and its ilk, are forces for good because they are used in many places where political protests are harshly suppressed.

By contrast, he said, his experience of dark nets such as Tor was that their use by activists and the oppressed was more than outweighed by criminal abuse...

... the potential for a technology to be abused is no guide to whether it should be suppressed, said Phil Zimmerman, who invented an easy way to encrypt messages to stop them being spied on. ...

... "Just think about what we would have to do if we did not have strong encryption," he said. "We would not have any e-commerce or e-banking. The economy would go back to being entirely bricks and mortar."

In addition, he said, the lack of encryption and other similar technologies would radically erode privacy. ...

... Stripping away these technologies would empower criminals as much as it would law enforcement...


Whitehall chiefs scan Twitter to head off badger protests

Whitehall chiefs are monitoring social media messages in an attempt to head-off demonstrations against policies such as the badger cull.

The Department for Rural Affairs uses "horizon scanning" software to gain an "early warning" of public protests.

Other government departments are being encouraged to follow...


Kim Dotcom angry after Megaupload files deleted

A huge amount of Megaupload data has been deleted by a European hosting firm, founder Kim Dotcom has revealed.

He called it the "largest data massacre in the history of the internet," saying that millions of users' personal files had been lost.

US authorities shut down Megaupload last year, accusing Mr Dotcom of helping people share movies and music...



All a balance of coercion and collateral damage?

I still find it amazing that the music industry can arbitrarily have EVERYONE's hosting/data deleted for the sake of the mere (so far unproven) accusation that their assumed copyright has been touched... Amazing.


All in the coercive world that we are making for ourselves,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)