Marshall Sutherland

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 19:56:04 -0400

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

Encrypted Client Hello - the last puzzle piece to privacy

Today we are excited to announce a contribution to improving privacy for everyone on the Internet. Encrypted Client Hello, a new proposed standard that prevents networks from snooping on which websites a user is visiting, is now available on all Cloudflare plans.

Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) is a successor to ESNI and masks the Server Name Indication (SNI) that is used to negotiate a TLS handshake. This means that whenever a user visits a website on Cloudflare that has ECH enabled, no one except for the user, Cloudflare, and the website owner will be able to determine which website was visited. Cloudflare is a big proponent of privacy for everyone and is excited about the prospects of bringing this technology to life.

#privacy

privacy

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 12:31:58 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

Meredith Whittaker reaffirms that Signal would leave UK if forced by privacy bill

Onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, Meredith Whittaker, the president of the Signal Foundation, which maintains the nonprofit Signal messaging app, reaffirmed that Signal would leave the U.K. if the country’s recently passed Online Safety Bill forced Signal to build “backdoors” into its end-to-end encryption.

“We would leave the U.K. or any jurisdiction if it came down to the choice between backdooring our encryption and betraying the people who count on us for privacy, or leaving,” Whittaker said. “And that’s never not true.”

#privacy

privacy

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 18:27:08 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

HCA Healthcare Reports Data Security Incident

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) recently discovered that a list of certain information with respect to some of its patients was made available by an unknown and unauthorized party on an online forum. The list includes:

- Patient name, city, state, and zip code;
- Patient email, telephone number, date of birth, gender; and
- Patient service date, location and next appointment date.
- HCA Healthcare has confirmed that the list contains information used for email messages, such as reminders that patients may wish to schedule an appointment and education on healthcare programs and services.

Importantly, the list does not include:

- Clinical information, such as treatment, diagnosis, or condition;
- Payment information, such as credit card or account numbers;
- Sensitive information, such as passwords, driver’s license or social security numbers.

#security #privacy

security privacy

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 13:01:05 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

I got pi-hole up and running a couple of days ago and have discovered that there is a HUGE number of lists that you can use with it. I'm wondering if anyone has any specific recommendations of ones that have worked well for you in terms of things like tracking sites.

#privacy

privacy

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 12:39:14 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

I need to rethink my pi-hole implementation. I had installed it on my NAS because it had it as an app, making it trivial to do. Then, this morning, the power went out and I turned off my NAS as non-critical infrastructure. Oops, no DNS for the part of the network that was still powered. Maybe I'll set it up on my server this weekend. I keep that up as long as there is UPS power and internet service.

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 13:03:23 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

Snowden Ten Years Later - Schneier on Security

In 2013 and 2014, I wrote extensively about new revelations regarding NSA surveillance based on the documents provided by Edward Snowden. But I had a more personal involvement as well.

I wrote the essay below in September 2013. The New Yorker agreed to publish it, but the Guardian asked me not to. It was scared of UK law enforcement, and worried that this essay would reflect badly on it. And given that the UK police would raid its offices in July 2014, it had legitimate cause to be worried.

Now, ten years later, I offer this as a time capsule of what those early months of Snowden were like.

A present-day quote relating to the comment I made (before reading this) on another thread:

What struck me at the IETF was the indignation in the room, and the calls to action. And there was action, across many fronts. We technologists did a lot to help secure the Internet, for example.

The government didn’t do its part, though. Despite the public outcry, investigations by Congress, pronouncements by President Obama, and federal court rulings. I don’t think much has changed. The NSA canceled a program here and a program there, and it is now more public about defense. But I don’t think it is any less aggressive about either bulk or targeted surveillance. Certainly its government authorities haven’t been restricted in any way. And surveillance capitalism is still the business model of the Internet.

#surveillance #security #privacy

surveillance security privacy

Wed, 31 May 2023 21:19:02 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

Federal Judge Makes History in Holding That Border Searches of Cell Phones Require a Warrant

With United States v. Smith (S.D.N.Y. May 11, 2023), a district court judge in New York made history by being the first court to rule that a warrant is required for a cell phone search at the border, “absent exigent circumstances” (although other district courts have wanted to do so).

#privacy

privacy

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:04:02 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

An Open Letter

When we share what we’re working on here it's usually about new features or products we're building. Today we’re writing about a troubling development in the United Kingdom that everyone needs to know about.

The UK government is currently considering new legislation that opens the door to trying to force technology companies to break end-to-end encryption on private messaging services. The law could give an unelected official the power to weaken the privacy of billions of people around the world.

We don’t think any company, government or person should have the power to read your personal messages and we’ll continue to defend encryption technology. We’re proud to stand with other technology companies in our industry pushing back against the misguided parts of this law that would make people in the UK and around the world less safe.

#crypto #privacy #surveillance

crypto privacy surveillance

show all 4 comments

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:34:25 -0400 last edited: Mon, 24 Apr 2023 08:34:42 -0400

Shimriez

shimriez@zotum.net

The EU is trying the same. Doesn't feel safe at all.

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 12:15:24 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

A general rule of thumb is that what ever the title says, the actual bill doesn't do that and possibly does the opposite.

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:20:43 -0400

Jason Cook

jason@hub.inktada.com

Lbhe frperg vf fnsr!

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 08:04:22 -0400

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

The Global Digital Rights Charter

What is the Global Digital Rights Charter 1 (GDRC 1)?

A statement of human rights in the digital realm.

#Internet #privacy

Internet privacy

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 12:51:13 -0500

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

Signal app warns it will quit UK if law weakens end-to-end encryption

The head of the messaging app Signal has warned that it will quit the UK if the forthcoming online safety bill weakens end-to-end encryption.

Signal’s president said the organisation would “absolutely, 100% walk” if the legislation undermined its encryption service.

Asked by the BBC if the bill could jeopardise Signal’s ability to operate in the UK, Meredith Whittaker said: “It could, and we would absolutely 100% walk rather than ever undermine the trust that people place in us to provide a truly private means of communication. We have never weakened our privacy promises, and we never would.”

#privacy

privacy

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 12:48:15 -0500

Marshall Sutherland

dwatney@hub.farthinghalearms.com

#^Banning TikTok - Schneier on Security

Congress is currently debating bills that would ban TikTok in the United States. We are here as technologists to tell you that this is a terrible idea and the side effects would be intolerable. Details matter. There are several ways Congress might ban TikTok, each with different efficacies and side effects. In the end, all the effective ones would destroy the free Internet as we know it.

#privacy #Internet #regulation #unintended_consequences

privacy Internet regulation unintended consequences