Security quotes of the week

Let's workshop a scenario a little. Bad things happen. People are afraid. People buy one of the small number of phones that is almost entirely free software, and organise resistance that way. The resistance are now disproportionately using devices that have IMEIs [International Mobile Equipment Identities] from specific ranges, and which can be geolocated through tower records. What do you think happens next?

[...] If you're in the US and you want to reduce the risk the vendor will fuck you over on behalf of the government without looking suspicious? Much as it pains me to say it, Apple's track record in refusing to assist the FBI in the San Bernardino case is a strong signal there.

First, it's important to recognize that today's AI is fundamentally untrustworthy, for the same reasons that search engines and social media platforms are.

The problem is not the technology itself; fast ways to find information and communicate with friends and family can be wonderful capabilities. The problem is the priorities of the corporations who own these platforms and for whose benefit they are operated. Recognize that you don't have control over what data is fed to the AI, who it is shared with and how it is used. It's important to keep that in mind when you connect devices and services to AI platforms, ask them questions, or consider buying or doing the things they suggest.

All internet voting systems are insecure. The insecurity is worse than a well-run conventional paper ballot system, because a very small number of people may have the power to change any (or all) votes that go through the system, without detection. This insecurity has been known for years; every internet voting system yet proposed suffers from it, for basic reasons that cannot be fixed with existing technology.