The plan is to post one of these a day for the next couple of months.

I’m less annoyed by hardware implants than by the possibility of widespread firmware subversion. This exploit involves a physical hardware implant; that seems to me a higher barrier to entry. I’m not against all ability for the spy agencies to do their jobs; I’m against unsupervised, unconstrained, and unprincipled use that far exceeds their sanction. So the existence of this particular piece of technology isn’t really the problem.

But one a day for several months… I’m interested to see what they publish next.

Schneier on Security: NSA Exploit of the Day: IRONCHEF

Eugene Crosser January 03, 2014 15:25

I think that the stance needs to be “targeted spying for a probable cause is OK, but opportunistic spying must be made illegal, both domestically and internationally” (for any nation). Because the notion of “exceeding their sanction” (and “unsupervised” etc.) is inherently debatable.

Te problem however is that as a side effect, this would put corporations like Facebook and Google in very hot water.

Michael K Johnson January 03, 2014 15:33

I’m not sure it’s that clean a distinction; it’s not clear to me (for example) that WWII would have a better outcome under those rules. I’m much less concerned with exactly which precise lines are drawn in the rules, and much more concerned that the agencies operate under meaningful external supervision that is not myopically limited to agency concerns.

Eugene Crosser January 03, 2014 15:43

I see your point. Still I see the lawmakers who are too ready to give the sanction, and to shortcut the supervision as a big problem. A huge problem in my country, but, judging from the recent events, rather pronounced in the USA too.

Arjan van de Ven January 03, 2014 15:45

a lot of this political side gets resolved once politicians themselves find out they were the target of active spying as well…..

(just look how some countries in Europe have done a 180)

Imported from Google+ — content and formatting may not be reliable