#6. To: robin, Neil McIver, Tauzero, Jethro Tull, lodwick, christine, Esso, angle, bluegrass, Eoghan, Mekons4, BTP Holdings, SKYDRIFTER, Dakmar, Horse, Max, ladybug, mirage, randge, bluedogtxn, Red Jones, RickyJ, loner (#2)
You've got to get over the encryption seduction of computer communications. Computer communication is the LEAST secure method of communicating with other people covertly. Encryption cannot protect ANYTHING on the internet. There are at least two major vulnerabilities to internet communications. First,mechanically, email communications can be recorded, and are recorded, in your computer. Even if you delete them, they're still in there, and the FBI (being the least technically capable of the agencies) can often pull them back out and reconstruct them. Secondly, systemically, it is impossible to know ho much of your electronic communication is recorded by the ISP, by agencies monitoring the web, etc. Even if you encrypt what you send, it is basically out there forever for someone to decrypt; which means that you are relying on today's encryption to protect you from tomorrows decryption programs. Additionally, you don't know that the programmers putting together encryption software haven't given the gummint the keys and backdoors to decrypt your stuff when the DHS agent comes and says it's a "matter of national security"...
The best way to communicate covertly is old school. Face to face in the middle of nowhere, or using a private code that only you know, etc. The very best means is to stay under the radar and to not be suspected in the first place. While that may be impossible for people who are psyops or propagandists, due to the nature of the work, it is relatively easy for their friends.
Even if you delete them, they're still in there, and the FBI (being the least technically capable of the agencies) can often pull them back out and reconstruct them.
If you write over them at least 7 times, they will indeed be deleted and even the CIA won't be able to get that data.
Encryption cannot protect ANYTHING on the internet.
I beg to differ, but hey, you can believe what you want to.
If you don't trust any of the encryption software providers you can just write your own up and encrypt it yourself. Encryption can give you good to very good protection now. I wouldn't say it is 100% totally secure today, but it would be very close to that today. It's about as secure as it will ever get IMO right now. In the future I can see it being much less secure.
You've got to get over the encryption seduction of computer communications. Computer communication is the LEAST secure method of communicating with other people covertly.
I'm not sure that's literally true, as postal letters are arguably less secure, but what you suggest is far, far from practicable. You might as well say to avoid phone tapping you should stop using phones, and to avoid car accidents you should sell your car and ride a bike everywhere. Janis Joplin sang about freedom being another word for "nothing left to lose", which unfortunately describes the result of many patriots who preemptively ensure that the government can't take anything from them. Making yourself immune from government activity by bankrupting yourself of phone use, cars, or what have you is no solution.
We need something that works. Sure, there are no guarantees. But IF you are going to use phones to communicate, THEN this kind of encryption is better than nothing. Granted we should not be lulled into a false sense of security. All things in moderation.
Yes you do point out that sound encryption requires assurances that the gov doesn't already have a decryption key for everything, and Microshaft was accused of creating one for the NSA. Another good reason to go with open source linux. The phone service described in the article is linux based. (Which I downloaded).
Encryption cannot protect ANYTHING on the internet.
That isn't true.
...mechanically, email communications can be recorded, and are recorded, in your computer.
If your mailstore (the files in which your email is stored), such as a PST or MBX file, is located inside of an encrypted file container then nobody will be able to access it.
...you don't know that the programmers putting together encryption software haven't given the gummint the keys and backdoors to decrypt your stuff...
TrueCrypt is open source. You can see if there are any backdoors (and there aren't any).