[GRLUG] new Comcast mail blocking?

[Tim Schmidt]

On Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 10:38 AM, Collin Kidder <adderd at kkmfg.com> wrote:
> Yes, your comfort level shouldn't be very good with any internet
> connection. One really must assume that all internet connections (in the
> US) are either monitored by the NSA or could easily be monitored at any
> time by them or someone else. That's why encryption is your friend. ;-)

The level of NSA monitoring of individual ISPs in unknown, though it's
likely they have 'agreements' with most of the larger ones.  What we
_do_ know is that the NSA actively monitors all traffic on the
nation's fiber-optic backbones - this includes voice, internet, as
well as point-to-point connections through telco networks.  So
regardless of ISP, if your data is traversing more than a few hops
away, it's passing through an NSA filter.

Scarier still, there are now several documented cases in which the FBI
has submitted evidence obtained by remotely activating microphones in
the possession of the defendant - once by activating and eavesdropping
on the microphone built into newer cars in the OnStar system (with
GM's help), and again by remotely activating the receiver microphone
on a Nextel cell phone via covert software download.  The FBI (and
possible state and local law enforcement) also have some interesting
portable hardware that emulates a cell base station, prompting your
phone to give up it's GPS location just as it would for a normal cell
tower - but since the hardware is owned by law enforcement, they do
not need to petition the FISA court for permission to use it - no
warrants necessary.

It continually amazes me that people don't realize devices are owned
by the person programming them (not the person holding them).

I own an OpenMoko precisely because carrying a powerful computer (400
- 600Mhz w/ 128Mb+ ram, Gbs of storage, and high-bandwidth 'net
connection for many new phones) with GPS, microphone(s), camera(s),
bluetooth and wifi (which both leak uniquely identifying information
if configured improperly), all running software written by someone(s)
completely unknown to me, everywhere I go (and talk, joke, learn,
love, listen and fuck) scares the holy bejusus out of me.

Fuck that.

It's scary that we're literally living in Orwell's land of ubiquitous
microphones and far-away eavesdroppers.  It's scary on a whole other
level that it was marketed to us by government sanctioned monopolies
with lucrative government contracts under threat of (even heavier)
government regulation -- and we bought it.

At this point in time...  communications is no fun.

--tim