technology

Now They Want Your Passwords

"For a dozen years, the FBI and NSA have spied on Americans and shredded the Constitution. They say the Patriot Act “authorizes” their abuses. That means... If you repeal the Patriot Act, they have NO authorization! This is increasingly urgent, because their snooping is only getting worse... The feds are demanding web firms hand over master encryption keys that shield my private Internet activities (http://shar.es/kR364) - and they even want my passwords! (http://shar.es/kRHgV) Hacking into my private data and communications is THE SAME THING as going through my possessions and papers without a court-issued search warrant." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNow They Want Your Passwords

Moscow Subway To Use Devices To Read Data On Phones

"The head of police for Moscow's subway system has said stations will soon be equipped with devices that can read the data on the mobile telephones of passengers. In the July 29 edition of 'Izvestia,' Moscow Metro police chief Andrei Mokhov said the device would be used to help locate stolen mobile phones. Mokhov said the devices have a range of about 5 meters and can read the SIM card. According to experts, the devices can be used more widely to follow all passengers. Mokhov said it was illegal to track a person without permission from the authorities, but that there was no law against tracking the property of a company, such as a SIM card." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMoscow Subway To Use Devices To Read Data On Phones

Think your password is secure from the NSA? Try this.

"Seven minutes. That’s how long it would take to crack one of the passwords I had been using for more than ten years, according to the crypto experts at Silent Circle. I’ve been using eight or ten different passwords for several years, some of them going back to my days as an intelligence officer. I had always thought they were secure– letters and numbers that I’ve been typing so long, they’re committed to muscle memory. But a few months ago when I signed up for my Silent Circle account, I was surprised to see the results when I tested one of my passwords against their crypto analysis tool. You can try it for yourself here." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThink your password is secure from the NSA? Try this.

NSA director Keith Alexander insists mass surveillance programs respect privacy

"Alexander, who is usually shy of publicity, attempted to win over the 7,000-strong gathering of industry professionals in Las Vegas as part of a charm offensive to contain the damage and deter Washington from curbing the programmes. Security guards confiscated eggs – presumably intended to be thrown – minutes before the NSA chief spoke. A few hecklers interrupted, accusing him of 'lying', 'bullshitting' and not reading the constitution. 'I have read it. So should you,' he shot back, earning laughs and applause. He praised the audience and invited them to help improve NSA. The performance won over the hackers, who applauded warmly at the end." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA director Keith Alexander insists mass surveillance programs respect privacy

Twitter report: U.S. leads the world in demands for user information

"Governments submitted a total of 1,157 requests for information about Twitter accounts, with 78 percent of those queries coming from the United States, according to a transparency report issued by the globally popular one-to-many test messaging service. Twitter reported that it gave US authorities what they sought in 67 percent of the cases. Twitter said the requests typically were made in connection with criminal investigations and lamented that it was barred by law from revealing anything about information demanded through US national security letters." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTwitter report: U.S. leads the world in demands for user information

Cops Can Track Cellphones Without Warrants, Federal Appeals Court Rules

"A divided federal appeals court ruled today that the government does not need a probable-cause warrant to access mobile-phone subscribers’ cell-site information, a decision reversing lower court decisions that said the location data was protected by the Fourth Amendment. The 2-1 decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is the third federal appeals court to decide the privacy issue. All the while, two federal appellate courts have now taken the government’s position that court warrants are not required for the location data. And a third federal appellate court said judges had the option to demand warrants." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCops Can Track Cellphones Without Warrants, Federal Appeals Court Rules

Bitcoin Is Not Quantum-Safe, And How We Can Fix It When Needed

"Given what is currently public knowledge, quantum computers are still far away; the most powerful quantum computer to date managed to use Shor’s algorithm to factor the number 21. However, we always need to have a plan of what we can do if Edward Snowden decides to leak out that the NSA has fully functional quantum computers hiding in a secret data center. We probably cannot handle such a sudden event, but we certainly can handle cases where we get even a month of advance warning. From there, we lick our wounds, pick up our losses and move on to enjoy some of the more wonderful things that quantum computing has to offer." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin Is Not Quantum-Safe, And How We Can Fix It When Needed

Bitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox Still Grappling With Slowdown

"Mt. Gox has seen U.S.-dollar denominated trading volume fall, and has struggled to keep up with customer requests for their money. In June, it temporarily halted U.S. dollar-denominated withdrawals. In July, it announced that it had resumed withdrawals, but acknowledged it hasn’t been able to process them as fast as it would like. Several customers have contacted MoneyBeat describing the trouble they’ve experienced since in getting funds out of Mt. Gox. The company essentially said the problem lies not with itself, but with the financial system outside of virtual currencies. All of this has resulted in a less liquid market for bitcoin trading." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin Exchange Mt. Gox Still Grappling With Slowdown

Building Bitcoin into the Core Architecture of the Web

"At the Inside Bitcoins NYC conference, Manu Sporny shared his answer to accelerate growth and provided a vision of adding 2.4 billion people to the Bitcoin ecosystem within the next five years. Where might one find a market that large that can be on-boarded that quickly? To Sporny, the answer lies in the 2.4 billion people with access to the web and in the sheer global dominance of four popular web browsers: IE, Safari, Firefox and Chrome. The challenge that naturally follows is how to integrate Bitcoin into the browser. Sporny is tackling this challenge by pushing for new W3C standards for the browser that will allow for more simplified transactions over the web." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBuilding Bitcoin into the Core Architecture of the Web

Ride-sharing companies like Uber may lose ‘bandit cab’ stigma in California

"The draft rules to govern companies that already operate under such names as Lyft, SideCar and Uber, allowing passengers to electronically hail rides through smartphone applications, were unveiled by the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Among the proposed regulations are requirements for ride-share operators to obtain a license with the PUC to do business in California, to submit their drivers to criminal background checks and to carry liability insurance of at least $1 million per incident. Taxi drivers registered their disapproval by staging a noisy demonstration against the ride-sharing services on Tuesday, circling San Francisco City Hall in their cabs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRide-sharing companies like Uber may lose ‘bandit cab’ stigma in California