Human rights to privacy? Nope, we're not allowed the luxury!
Discussion
PCPRO said:
UK government seeks backdoor access to Windows Vista
The UK government has asked Microsoft to provide 'backdoor access' to Windows so that the police can read suspects' encrypted files.
The Home Office said that it is 'working closely' with the software company, following concerns that security features to be introduced in Windows Vista will increase the number of files that are routinely encrypted.
Its acknowledgement was prompted by comments made by Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at Cambridge University, in evidence to the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee.
He said that by default data will be encrypted using a trusted platform module chip on a PC's motherboard.
'An unfortunate side effect for law enforcement is it would be technically fairly seriously difficult to dig encrypted material out of the system if it has been set up competently,' Professor Anderson explained.
Microsoft told the BBC that Vista is designed to be the most secure version of Windows ever.
'At the same time, we are working with law enforcement to help them understand its security features and will continue to partner with governments, law enforcement and industry to help make the internet a safer place to learn and communicate,' said a spokeswoman.
Source: www.pcpro.co.uk/news/83585/uk-government-seeks-backdoor-access-to-windows-vista.html
Times are changing, do we as people/voters not get a say in these things? geeez, looks like the government is hyperactive and doing all kinds behind the screen, oh well, happy days!
That is disgusting..
I for one won't be upgrading if that is implemented to the new Windows version... and I'm sure there will be some way around it months after the release
Nothing to hide, but I still have a small bit of self respect left therefore don't want some government officials digging round my private info.
I for one won't be upgrading if that is implemented to the new Windows version... and I'm sure there will be some way around it months after the release
Nothing to hide, but I still have a small bit of self respect left therefore don't want some government officials digging round my private info.
bandit said:
Nothing new here.
Sophisticated encyption has got to get government approval - i.e. they have to be happy that they can break it.
Until recently one of my cousins worked in the defence sector. They produced control systems for things like missiles. Their biggest market was the US who's biggest proviso was that none of the products they produced for sale anywhere would have encrypted comms that the US could't crack within a specified time limit.
The Vista thing doesn't really bother me, anyone who currently want's to protect their data can do so effectively & quite easily - and will continue to be able to.
SXS said:
Times are changing, do we as people/voters not get a say in these things? geeez, looks like the government is hyperactive and doing all kinds behind the screen, oh well, happy days!
No, you don't. You could always write to your MP asking him to find out what the
the government thinks it's playing at, the s. Alternatively, you could vote with your wallet and either get a Mac, or run Linux, or something.
One of the reasons Microsoft gets away with what it gets away with is because we, as consumers, seem hell bent on shovelling our cash into their bank accounts in exchange for increasingly-difficult-to-see-the-difference upgrades.
One thing that really lights the fire under my pisskettle is the government's eagerness to repeatedly ship hundreds of millions of pounds out of the country and into Bill's bank account. I know software's hard to develop, and really hard to develop well, but given that most of these vast upgrades end up going gloriously over-budget anyway, why not give some UK programmers (and you could buy a LOT of talent for, say, the £800M that was wasted on the Wessex NHS upgrade, or the hundreds of millions that have been tipped into the CSA, or the Passport Office, etc etc etc) a chance to actually build the systems that our country runs on?
CommanderJameson said:
One thing that really lights the fire under my pisskettle is the government's eagerness to repeatedly ship hundreds of millions of pounds out of the country and into Bill's bank account. I know software's hard to develop, and really hard to develop well, but given that most of these vast upgrades end up going gloriously over-budget anyway, why not give some UK programmers (and you could buy a LOT of talent for, say, the £800M that was wasted on the Wessex NHS upgrade, or the hundreds of millions that have been tipped into the CSA, or the Passport Office, etc etc etc) a chance to actually build the systems that our country runs on?
I think I can answer that one. The whole of the civil service is riddled with "computer experts" and "software gurus". Not one of these people could survive a day in the private sector without getting fired. Unfortunately these are the people who are specifying hardware and software for the government and often writing their own stuff to sit on top of commercially developed software. Thats why no matter how hard the government tries, most of its computer systems are a total failure. Actually come to think of it thats good really
nonegreen said:
One thing that really lights the fire under my pisskettle is the government's eagerness to repeatedly ship hundreds of millions of pounds out of the country and into Bill's bank account. I know software's hard to develop, and really hard to develop well, but given that most of these vast upgrades end up going gloriously over-budget anyway, why not give some UK programmers (and you could buy a LOT of talent for, say, the £800M that was wasted on the Wessex NHS upgrade, or the hundreds of millions that have been tipped into the CSA, or the Passport Office, etc etc etc) a chance to actually build the systems that our country runs on?
I think I can answer that one. The whole of the civil service is riddled with "computer experts" and "software gurus". Not one of these people could survive a day in the private sector without getting fired. Unfortunately these are the people who are specifying hardware and software for the government and often writing their own stuff to sit on top of commercially developed software. Thats why no matter how hard the government tries, most of its computer systems are a total failure. Actually come to think of it thats good really
Whilst I might agree in theory, in practice the execution gets farmed out to the private sector, in the guise of EDS or ICL/Fujitsu/Siemens and their consultative ilk; and these very definitely private sector companies
it up, without exception, time and time again. So, about the wonderful private sector IT companies: where are they?
omitchell said:
It doesn't bother me as i shall continue to use PGP which still isn't crackable at 2048 bit encryption
I agree storm in a teacup, anyone who knows how to set the system up competantly, knows to avoid using standard windoze junk.
It's only your average dumb criminal or kiddie porn collector who would bother to use that in some misguided attempt to hide whatever they dont want found, anyone serious about encrypting data know's where to get the decent stuff.
R988 said:
It doesn't bother me as i shall continue to use PGP which still isn't crackable at 2048 bit encryption
I agree storm in a teacup, anyone who knows how to set the system up competantly, knows to avoid using standard windoze junk.
It's only your average dumb criminal or kiddie porn collector who would bother to use that in some misguided attempt to hide whatever they dont want found, anyone serious about encrypting data know's where to get the decent stuff.
Yes, and if the government are given a way in, then anyone else can get in.
A good reason, therefore, to avoid the product.
The way I read this article, the government wouldn't be accessing your private data remotely, they would only do so if you were suspected of doing something bad and they would confiscate your hardware.
Once they had your hardware they would need the backdoor to get past the security to read the suspects files. I don't know about you but I don't think this is such a bad thing. If they get hold of some terrorist organizations hardware, I'd like them to be able to read whats on it.
I don't think this is really aimed at your average "joe public".
I'm pretty sure this isn't really a Microsoft general thing (any commercial security software would most likely have to assure the government that it wasn't a threat to them - i.e. provide a backdoor), so it doesn't matter if you use Mac, Linux, UNIX or whatever. If you use a commercial product the government is going to have a way in.
>> Edited by bandit on Sunday 19th February 17:49
Once they had your hardware they would need the backdoor to get past the security to read the suspects files. I don't know about you but I don't think this is such a bad thing. If they get hold of some terrorist organizations hardware, I'd like them to be able to read whats on it.
I don't think this is really aimed at your average "joe public".
I'm pretty sure this isn't really a Microsoft general thing (any commercial security software would most likely have to assure the government that it wasn't a threat to them - i.e. provide a backdoor), so it doesn't matter if you use Mac, Linux, UNIX or whatever. If you use a commercial product the government is going to have a way in.
>> Edited by bandit on Sunday 19th February 17:49
The Terrorism Act wasn't intended to get octagenarian Labour veterans ejected from Conference and arrested - but it did.
Whatever this is 'intended' for there will be a rapid series of 'unintended' intrusions using it as an excuse. Under BLiar this country gets more totalitarian by the day.
Whatever this is 'intended' for there will be a rapid series of 'unintended' intrusions using it as an excuse. Under BLiar this country gets more totalitarian by the day.
turbobloke said:
The Terrorism Act wasn't intended to get octagenarian Labour veterans ejected from Conference and arrested - but it did.
Whatever this is 'intended' for there will be a rapid series of 'unintended' intrusions using it as an excuse. Under BLiar this country gets more totalitarian by the day.
I understand what your saying - I'm just pointing out that this is nothing new. Governments have always insisted that they can access comercial security software....long before BLair.
bandit said:
The way I read this article, the government wouldn't be accessing your private data remotely, they would only do so if you were suspected of doing something bad and they would confiscate your hardware.
Once they had your hardware they would need the backdoor to get past the security to read the suspects files. I don't know about you but I don't think this is such a bad thing. If they get hold of some terrorist organizations hardware, I'd like them to be able to read whats on it.
I don't think this is really aimed at your average "joe public".
I'm pretty sure this isn't really a Microsoft general thing (any commercial security software would most likely have to assure the government that it wasn't a threat to them - i.e. provide a backdoor), so it doesn't matter if you use Mac, Linux, UNIX or whatever. If you use a commercial product the government is going to have a way in.
>> Edited by bandit on Sunday 19th February 17:49
I think it does matter becuase of the open source community. While it may be illegal to use certain programs, it doesnt stop people implementing them or furthering the implementation besides, they obviously didnt look into PGP encryption enough given the inability in several cases to extract information from secured sources.
Any encryption is crackable given enough time and resources, however if it takes more then 100 years it has obviously done its job.
In principle I dont mind, the same as the road tracking system BUT, I dont trust the goverment not to abuse the technology, and they will!
CommanderJameson said:
It doesn't bother me as i shall continue to use PGP which still isn't crackable at 2048 bit encryption
At least, you don't think it is.
*dons tinfoil helmet*
Even better use GPG - gnu privacy guard as it's open source and less susceeptible to govt pressure.
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