• Privacy is Power: take b

    From Sean Dennis@618:618/10 to August Abolins on Tue Sep 7 13:28:00 2021
    August Abolins wrote to All <=-

    "Reclaiming privacy is the only way we can regain control of
    our lives and our societies. These governments and corporations
    have too much power, and their power stems from us--from our
    data. Privacy is as collective as it is personal, and it's time
    to take back control.

    Unless you give up every method of modern communication, you're not going to have any privacy no matter what you do. It's very easy to find someone once you get their IP address or phone number. So while I can appreciate trying to hold on to any shred of privacy, unless you become a hermit, privacy in today's world is nearly impossible.

    After over three decades in IT, I've learned so many ways that one's privacy is invaded, I've given up and if someone wants to spy on me, go ahead. But I do prefer encrypted email and using a VPN online. Nothing is perfect but it makes it harder for those who want to watch.

    -- Sean


    ___ MultiMail/FreeBSD v0.52

    --- Maximus/2 3.01
    * Origin: Outpost BBS // bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (618:618/10)
  • From Kurt Weiske@618:300/1 to Sean Dennis on Wed Sep 8 07:04:00 2021
    Sean Dennis wrote to August Abolins <=-

    After over three decades in IT, I've learned so many ways that one's privacy is invaded, I've given up and if someone wants to spy on me, go ahead.

    The latest IT trend in security that bugs me is SSL packet inspection. My network team is essentially performing a man-in-the-middle attack on any SSL packets leaving the corporate network, and it breaks a ton of things.

    Thankfully, I don't need to use my work PC to "home from work" (the opposite of working from home) anymore. With an Android phone, guest wifi and VPN, I can go about my day and get home tasks done as needed.

    I do find it interesting that when I see someone who's at work on their
    phone all the time that my first thought is that they're goofing off, but
    work has a BYOD policy and some people younger than me go for the phone
    first for work communication.




    ... HACK THE PLANET!
    --- MultiMail/DOS v0.52
    * Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (618:300/1)
  • From August Abolins@618:250/1.9 to Sean Dennis on Sat Sep 11 23:54:00 2021
    Hello Sean..

    ** On Tuesday 07.09.21 - 13:28, you wrote to me:

    "Reclaiming privacy is the only way we can regain control
    of our lives and our societies. These governments and
    corporations have too much power, and their power stems
    from us--from our data. Privacy is as collective as it is
    personal, and it's time to take back control.

    Unless you give up every method of modern communication,
    you're not going to have any privacy no matter what you
    do. It's very easy to find someone once you get their IP
    address or phone number.

    I should be receiving my copy of the book shortly. I will be
    looking for the parts that highlight the suggested ways of
    reclaiming privacy and post them here. But given that the book
    is written by journalist, I doubt that there will be an in
    depth technical explanation.


    So while I can appreciate trying to hold on to any shred
    of privacy, unless you become a hermit, privacy in today's
    world is nearly impossible.

    Privacy in a general worldy sense, maybe not (the gov't
    agencies know where you are). But privacy wrt to email can be
    achieved reasonably well with PGP.


    After over three decades in IT, I've learned so many ways
    that one's privacy is invaded, I've given up and if
    someone wants to spy on me, go ahead.
    ^^^^^^^^

    No, no, no. Don't say that. Don't even think that! :O

    https://kolico.ca/mpg/TGC1972-privacy.mp4


    But I do prefer encrypted email and using a VPN online.
    Nothing is perfect but it makes it harder for those who
    want to watch.

    I'm surprised by the increase in pgp-based email services out
    there. I'v recently learned about:

    [1] https://www.preveil.com/preveil-email/

    and

    [2] https://www.virtru.com/email-encryption/

    and

    [3] https://www.securemyemail.com/

    Vitru claims: "No Forced Vendor Trust or Blind Subpoena Risk"
    Most vendors force you to trust them to host your data and the
    keys protecting it, risking blind government subpoenas. Virtru
    reduces this risk by storing keys separately from the data.

    A review site mentioned this:

    "Preveil and Virtru are totally free. Both are simplified
    consumer-focused editions of enterprise-level products. Their
    "big brother" products bring in the cash."

    ..but to get started in Virtru you have to request a demo -
    which likely means it's primarily designed for corporate
    accounts and charges $s.

    SecureMyEmail claims: It's end-to-end encrypted with Zero-Knowledge Encryption.

    "SecureMyEmail provides true end-to-end asymmetrical encryption
    with industry-leading 4096-bit keys utilizing the OpenPGP
    standard. This means that your email is encrypted before it
    leaves your device and can only be decrypted by your recipients
    on their devices. No one, not your email provider, your ISP, a
    hacker, or even us, can ever access your encrypted email or
    attachments."

    --
    ../|ug

    --- OpenXP 5.0.50
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointface (618:250/1.9)
  • From Sean Dennis@618:618/10 to August Abolins on Sun Sep 12 15:47:16 2021
    August Abolins wrote to Sean Dennis <=-

    No, no, no. Don't say that. Don't even think that! :O

    It's already happened to me. I know better and I know that there is no truly safe way to enjoy the Internet privately.

    I'm surprised by the increase in pgp-based email services out
    there. I'v recently learned about:

    That still leaves potential for people to peek at your mail. The best way to to do PGP is the encryption/decryption on your
    local computer. Protonmail bragged about not keeping logs of your IP but they gave up the info for a Swiss court:

    https://tinyurl.com/yjzhq5m71 (arstechnica.com)

    The only person you can trust on the Internet is yourself.

    -- Sean

    ___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

    --- Maximus/2 3.01
    * Origin: Outpost BBS // bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (618:618/10)
  • From August Abolins@618:510/1.1 to Sean Dennis on Sun Sep 12 19:49:00 2021
    Hello Sean Dennis!

    ** On Sunday 12.09.21 - 15:47, Sean Dennis wrote to August Abolins:

    I'm surprised by the increase in pgp-based email services
    out there. I'v recently learned about:

    That still leaves potential for people to peek at your
    mail. The best way to to do PGP is the encryption/
    decryption on your local computer. Protonmail bragged
    about not keeping logs of your IP but they gave up the
    info for a Swiss court:

    https://tinyurl.com/yjzhq5m71 (arstechnica.com)

    Yes.. The same story was reported by a few other media.

    But.. The French authorities contacted EuroPol who then
    contacted the Swiss authorities who then seemed to twist PM's
    arm. PM explained that they *did* review the "evidence" that
    was presented by the Swiss authorities and that was the key
    that convinced them that that particular user was not abiding
    by the "no illegal activity" usage of the PM service.

    So, if one does not occupy themselves in illegal activities
    that provide grounds to be suspect and rouse suspicions, then
    PM won't be pressured to log or reveal anything.

    One of the new pgp-based services I listed used a local-store
    technique for one's key. So, that one might be OK to settle
    with.

    The only person you can trust on the Internet is yourself.

    BTW.. I sent a pgp'd email to your zc@minftn.net address. Did
    you get it? It didn't bounce or anything. I had your public
    key in my system from some time ago I don't know exactly when.

    --
    ../|ug

    --- OpenXP 5.0.50
    * Origin: my little micronet point (618:510/1.1)
  • From Sean Dennis@618:618/10 to August Abolins on Mon Sep 13 17:11:04 2021
    Hello August,

    Sunday September 12 2021 19:49, you wrote to me:

    So, if one does not occupy themselves in illegal activities
    that provide grounds to be suspect and rouse suspicions, then
    PM won't be pressured to log or reveal anything.

    Ah, but you give any government an inch, they will take a mile.

    BTW.. I sent a pgp'd email to your zc@minftn.net address. Did
    you get it? It didn't bounce or anything. I had your public
    key in my system from some time ago I don't know exactly when.

    No, oddly enough. I have checked spam logs and everything ... no record. Weird. :/

    -- Sean

    ... Osborn's Law: Variables won't; constants aren't.
    --- GoldED/2 3.0.1
    * Origin: Outpost BBS // bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (618:618/10)
  • From August Abolins@618:250/1.9 to Sean Dennis on Mon Sep 13 18:53:00 2021
    Hello Sean Dennis!

    ** On Monday 13.09.21 - 17:11, you wrote to me:

    BTW.. I sent a pgp'd email to your zc@minftn.net
    address. Did you get it? It didn't bounce or anything. I
    had your public key in my system from some time ago I
    don't know exactly when.

    No, oddly enough. I have checked spam logs and everything
    ... no record. Weird. :/

    Could it be that you isp is blocking encrypted content?

    I'll send you one in the clear, and a 2nd one pgp'd a few
    minutes after.

    --
    ../|ug

    --- OpenXP 5.0.50
    * Origin: (} Pointy McPointface (618:250/1.9)