Posted on 10/04/2013 1:10:31 PM PDT by zeugma
"Lavabit won a victory in court and were able to get the secret court order [which led to the site's closure] unsealed. The ACLU's Chris Soghoian called it the nuclear option: The court order revealed the FBI demanded Lavabit turn over their root SSL certificate, something that would allow them to monitor the traffic of every user of the service. Lavabit offered an alternative method to tap into the single user in question but the FBI wasn't interested. Lavabit could either comply or shut down. As such, no U.S. company that relies on SSL encryption can be trusted with sensitive data. Everything from Google to Facebook to Skype to your bank account is only encrypted by SSL keys, and if the FBI can force Lavabit to hand over their SSL key or face shutdown, they can do it to anyone."
To summarize: Fedgov got a warrant that demanded that Lavabit turn over their root SSL key to the government.
We know about this because the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals unsealed the documents in the case on 10/2/13. This was apparently the primary reason Lavabit folded up shop a few weeks ago. The government was threatening Lavabit founder Lavar Levinson with contempt for not complying with demands of the government to give it access to user's data. This is a pretty big deal folks. SSL keys are a fundamental component of enabling security on the internet. If Fedgov thugs have a company's root SSL keys, they have total access to all communications that use that key. No SSL traffic would be safe. Further, If you have their key, you can also very effectively masquerade as the company in a way that most people would trust.
Those of you have been following the NSA revelations closely will have seen references to the NSA being able to decrypt some SSL internet traffic. Well folks, this is how you do it. You don't have to expend effort attempting to crack cryptographic protocols if you can just use a rubber hose to beat the encryption keys out of people.
Our government has become an evil monstrosity that believes you and I have no need for privacy in any aspect of our lives that is not subject to their whims.
I'm sick to death of it.
It’s not bad enough the NSA listens to everything, but the FBI has to do it to. I wonder just how many Federal Agencies are listening to everything?
Apparently the warrants can be filled out like this:
Place to be searched: everwhere
Persons to be seized: everyone
Things to be seized: everthing
Reason: he has something and we want it
This is precisely the system that the Antichrist (Beast) needs to run the world. It won’t be very pretty for those who are left behind.
--- Fixed that for you.
” I wonder just how many Federal Agencies are listening to everything?”
And people wonder why we say we can do without the federal employees.
They (FBI / NSA) have, for decades been heavily pressuring all of the encryption program writers / distributors to provide them ‘backdoors’.
I believe that most , if not all have complied, especially those based in the USA.
Exactly, and I’m a pre-Tribber. If it’s this bad right now, I can’t imagine how bad it will be in the Tribulation. I only pray my echatology isn’t mistaken (not a salvation issue, but would require a whole new line of thinking and preparation).
Every Dem and obama ass-licker from facebook, Apple to Microsoft according to Snowden have provided the backdoor to their programs. The Lavabit founder who shut down his biz instead of forking over the keys to the gubmint’ did not want to move offshore as he wanted to stay in America but you will sense in the tone of the interview he was both pissed and scared.
Pretty damning, wow.
I mean, next thing u know they’ll be shooting moms in the head in front of the WH, right...?
Oh, wait...
Yeah, I realize that... I’m talking about PGP, BestCrypt, RSA, stuff like that. Not ‘service providers’ but cryptography programs that reside on individual users computers.
Not a pretty situation, though I have to wonder what the gummit spies are even doing here. There is no way they can eyeball their way through more than a tiny fraction of this stuff. So is most of it just getting squirreled away for future reference or what?
I say, might as well assume the web is a fishbowl to Uncle Sham and carry on accordingly.
One who firmly believes in the guiding and provision of God will be able to go into a Tribulation as boldly as the early Christians let themselves become lion food. In a sense every day is a tribulation. This is just going to be one that is not very nice.
"Due to the Government Shutdown, this site is not being updated."
From Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws, Book III.
Of the Principles of the Three Kinds of Government9. Of the Principle of Despotic Government. As virtue is necessary in a republic, and in a monarchy honour, so fear is necessary in a despotic government: with regard to virtue, there is no occasion for it, and honour would be extremely dangerous.
Here the immense power of the prince devolves entirely upon those whom he is pleased to entrust with the administration. Persons capable of setting a value upon themselves would be likely to create disturbances. Fear must therefore depress their spirits, and extinguish even the least sense of ambition.
In past years, I focussed so much on the “getting food etc” aspect of it and how impossible that will be (and can see how it’s beimg set up that way), that I didn’t think about access to healthcare particularly. After ObamaScare was passed, tied into expanded federal powers for spying on law-abiding citizens, I could see how this one thing could lay the groundwork for all of it. “You’re not signed up for obamacare? Well then, not only no healthcare for you, but no food either. And where do you live-we need your home or apartment for a family (two men and their kids) who are loyal to The Won who does all good for them”.
God’s promises of provision to the faithful will never be annulled. However, being faithful could mean taking some fearful chances (in a worldly point of view). It will be very tempting to let one’s faith get weak because then the world will reward one for that.
Is BestCrypt better than TruecRypt?
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