Category: backdoors

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Chinese Supply-Chain Attack on Computer Systems

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, china, cybersecurity, fbi, fisa, intelligence, Internet of Things, national security policy, reports, Security technology, supply chain, Uncategorized

Bloomberg News has a major story about the Chinese hacking computer motherboards made by Supermicro, Levono, and others. It’s been going on since at least 2008. The US government has known about it for almost as long, and has tried to keep the attack secret: China’s exploitation of products made by Supermicro, as the U.S. … Read More “Chinese Supply-Chain Attack on Computer Systems” »

Zoom’s Commitment to User Security Depends on Whether you Pay It or Not

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, encryption, privacy, Security technology, securitypolicies, videoconferencing

Zoom was doing so well…. And now we have this: Corporate clients will get access to Zoom’s end-to-end encryption service now being developed, but Yuan said free users won’t enjoy that level of privacy, which makes it impossible for third parties to decipher communications. “Free users for sure we don’t want to give that because … Read More “Zoom’s Commitment to User Security Depends on Whether you Pay It or Not” »

Another Story of Bad 1970s Encryption

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, cryptanalysis, cryptography, historyofcryptography, historyofsecurity, Security technology

This one is from the Netherlands. It seems to be clever cryptanalysis rather than a backdoor. The Dutch intelligence service has been able to read encrypted communications from dozens of countries since the late 1970s thanks to a microchip, according to research by de Volkskrant on Thursday. The Netherlands could eavesdrop on confidential communication from … Read More “Another Story of Bad 1970s Encryption” »

Security and Privacy Implications of Zoom

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, datacollection, encryption, privacy, Security technology, vulnerabilities

Over the past few weeks, Zoom’s use has exploded since it became the video conferencing platform of choice in today’s COVID-19 world. (My own university, Harvard, uses it for all of its classes. Boris Johnson had a cabinet meeting over Zoom.) Over that same period, the company has been exposed for having both lousy privacy … Read More “Security and Privacy Implications of Zoom” »

The EARN-IT Act

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, children, cryptography, cryptowars, encryption, Security technology

Prepare for another attack on encryption in the U.S. The EARN-IT Act purports to be about protecting children from predation, but it’s really about forcing the tech companies to break their encryption schemes: The EARN IT Act would create a “National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention” tasked with developing “best practices” for owners … Read More “The EARN-IT Act” »

More on Crypto AG

Posted on By infossl
assassinations, backdoors, cia, cryptography, intelligence, privacy, Security technology, surveillance

One follow-on to the story of Crypto AG being owned by the CIA: this interview with a Washington Post reporter. The whole thing is worth reading or listening to, but I was struck by these two quotes at the end: …in South America, for instance, many of the governments that were using Crypto machines were … Read More “More on Crypto AG” »

Crypto AG Was Owned by the CIA

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, cia, cryptography, espionage, Security technology, switzerland

The Swiss cryptography firm Crypto AG sold equipment to governments and militaries around the world for decades after World War II. They were owned by the CIA: But what none of its customers ever knew was that Crypto AG was secretly owned by the CIA in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence. These … Read More “Crypto AG Was Owned by the CIA” »

Former FBI General Counsel Jim Baker Chooses Encryption Over Backdoors

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, cryptography, cryptowars, cybersecurity, encryption, fbi, lawenforcement, nationalsecuritypolicy, nsa, Security technology

In an extraordinary essay, the former FBI general counsel Jim Baker makes the case for strong encryption over government-mandated backdoors: In the face of congressional inaction, and in light of the magnitude of the threat, it is time for governmental authorities­ — including law enforcement­ — to embrace encryption because it is one of the … Read More “Former FBI General Counsel Jim Baker Chooses Encryption Over Backdoors” »

Adding a Hardware Backdoor to a Networked Computer

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, firewall, hacking, hardware, Security technology, spyware, supplychain

Interesting proof of concept: At the CS3sthlm security conference later this month, security researcher Monta Elkins will show how he created a proof-of-concept version of that hardware hack in his basement. He intends to demonstrate just how easily spies, criminals, or saboteurs with even minimal skills, working on a shoestring budget, can plant a chip … Read More “Adding a Hardware Backdoor to a Networked Computer” »

More on Law Enforcement Backdoor Demands

Posted on By infossl
backdoors, encryption, lawenforcement, reports, Security technology, smartphones

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Princeton University’s Center for Information Technology Policy convened an Encryption Working Group to attempt progress on the “going dark” debate. They have released their report: “Moving the Encryption Policy Conversation Forward. The main contribution seems to be that attempts to backdoor devices like smartphones shouldn’t also backdoor communications … Read More “More on Law Enforcement Backdoor Demands” »