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Governments Use 'Legal' Mobile Malware To Spy On Citizens
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RyanSepe
RyanSepe,
User Rank: Ninja
6/29/2014 | 9:10:30 PM
Unconstiutional
Wasn't there a recent judgment made passing this as unconstitutional? I think it might have been within the last week. If anyone knows off hand please elaborate. I will try to find more data.
theb0x
theb0x,
User Rank: Ninja
6/28/2014 | 12:00:10 PM
Re: Spy vs Spy
Since it is well established, atleast according to Snowden..if that is his real name. The NSA can undetectably intercept devices in transit and implant them with malware before the shipment reaches it's destination.

With that being said, who in their right mind uses stock firmware on their mobile device? I use my own highly customized firmware built and hardened from scratch. SMS functionality is completely stripped. GPS functionality can actually be disabled along with camera and mic. All data/VOIP communications are established via VPN and pass through an IPS. The hardware MAC address is spoofed at a random interval and all data on the device is fullly encrypted and will self destruct via 35 pass Gutmann Algorithm after 5 failed attempts to bypass the screen lock.

Do I have anything to hide? No. But I do believe very strongly in personal privacy and having complete control of my device.
RetiredUser
RetiredUser,
User Rank: Ninja
6/25/2014 | 1:52:21 AM
Spy vs Spy
I'm one of the little guys.  Am I high tech?  Yes.  Do I work up in the 5-10% head space when it comes to using tech beyond the pale?  Yes.  But I still see myself as one of the little guys when it comes to the government.  Look, Big Bro – we don't have any secrets.  You know the bad and the good I've done.  Listen to my phone conversations, comb my email, and monitor my network traffic.  It's OK – I'm over it now.  But, for crying out loud, be smart about it.  Whether you do it through "legal" means or otherwise, you're still opening the door for everyone else out there to get to my information; and that I do care about.

See, for every encrypted tunnel out there is a host of hackers dying to look down it.  Snowden didn't scratch the surface with his revelations – I suspect he was really only stating the obvious.  The real issue is that, especially with the tech described in this article – our favorite cartoon Spy vs Spy has moved from anvils, bombs and guns to bots, malware, injection and sniffing.  Name the US government agency electronically connecting to your data and I'll show you a foreign government-employed hacker trying to ride that connection and share in the booty, and a host of cyber criminals right behind him.

So, what I'm asking you, Big Bro, is – and I can't believe I'm saying this – to please get better at spying on us, secure your connections and software better, and please keep all my private information just between us!


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