[Cryptography] Cryptography is not a science currently

[coderman@gmail.com (coderman)]

On 12/6/15, Ryan Carboni <ryacko@gmail.com> wrote:
> ...
> Snowden isn't such a big deal.

some calls for preservation to the contrary:

"Why the Snowden files should be made accessible through public libraries."
 - http://berlinergazette.de/snowden-files-public-library-position-paper/

"On Archiving and Commoning the Snowden Files"
 - http://www.socialhistoryportal.org/news/articles/308169



> Maybe no one cares about Nicholas Merril and his fight against a national
> security letter.

did you see the unredacted version?

i actually used this recently in a FOIA, in fact:

"Per your request for fix of this request,

Under the USA PATRIOT Act, Pub. L. No. 107-56 §505(a), 115 Stat. 272,
365 (2001) , including recent revisions; C.f. USA FREEDOM Act of 2015,
Pub. L. No. 114-23, 129 Stat. 268, the FBI can issue National Security
Letters requesting specific business record information, including
SSL/TLS private keys used in Internet communications. See
https://peertech.org/files/merrill-v-lynch-unredacted-decision-vacating-gag.pdf
for additional information.

I am requesting Procedures, Instructions, and any other materials
regarding the proper handling of SSL/TLS secret keys obtained via
National Security Letters or Court Order under PATRIOT Act, or USA
FREEDOM Act authorities as above."
 - https://www.muckrock.com/foi/united-states-of-america-10/kleptokeymgmt-21208/#comm-207273



> Maybe no one cares about Mark Klein, or that Congress gave retroactive
> immunity to telecommunications providers in cooperating with the
> government.

the Mark Klein exhibits were the first time i saw sensitive private
cable tap activities exposed to the public.  it was the first time i
had hope for judicial action against nation state spying activities on
domestic soil.
 ( i still have hope, but it is much more tempered, now :)



> Maybe no one cares that Theo de Raadt lost a DARPA grant for criticizing
> the Iraq war.

Theo an opinionated egotistical asshat, yet still no justification for
a Dixie-Chicks'in on his contracts...



> Maybe no one cares...

you're missing other significant behavior modifications,

like the "voluntary" servitude of forever-secretive classified contracts,

or compelled cooperation when they catch you ridin' dirty,

or an employer dependent on military-industrial-complex, now the
cyber-spy-n-sploit racket,

or ....



> Why am I wasting my time? There are thousands of events that transpired
> before Snowden, and Snowden is a big deal? How is he a big deal?

quantified risk. we now know with greater precision than ever before,
 exactly how well resourced and bleeding edge this attacker (USA) is.

unfortunately it's almost all bad news...

( denial is not rejection; can you blame the heads in the sand, really? )



> ... The only interesting new bit of
> knowledge in 2013 was parallel construction. I had no idea that the federal
> government was */that/* crooked.

actually this was exposed in DEA investigations, but yes, the scale of
it is disturbing to say the least.


keep caring! and best regards,