April 2006 - cypherpunks-legacy

Your mortagee approval
by Celina Davies 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

1 0

3.25%% approvedd rattee
by Ohara 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

1 0

[Clips] A Teenager's Tale
by R. A. Hettinga 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

--- begin forwarded text Delivered-To: clips(a)philodox.com Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:13:25 -0400 To: Philodox Clips List <clips(a)philodox.com> From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah(a)shipwright.com> Subject: [Clips] A Teenager's Tale Reply-To: rah(a)philodox.com Sender: clips-bounces(a)philodox.com <http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB114434417735419002.html> The Wall Street Journal April 10, 2006 REAL TIME By JASON FRY A Teenager's Tale The Net Makes It Harder to Know Where Your Children Really Are April 10, 2006 Last week a House subcommittee listened to the tale of Justin Berry, the 19-year-old whose five years as a "camwhore" were chronicled by the New York Times, offering a window into a frightening world in which Webcams, IM, online-payment services and e-commerce wish lists are the tools online sexual predators use to lure impressionable teens and younger children into child porn. Mr. Berry and Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald testified, as did a number of experts in protecting kids online -- and even for those familiar with Mr. Eichenwald's scarifying story, it was headline-making stuff. The sexual exploitation of children online was estimated as a $20 billion industry, and Mr. Berry said in his prepared remarks that "[w]ithin each of your Congressional districts I guarantee there are children who have used their Webcams to appear naked, and I guarantee you there are also children in your district on the Internet right now being contacted and seduced online by sexual predators." Frightening enough, but there was an undercurrent to the stories told by Mr. Berry and the other witnesses that was spookier still: the fact that the teens could be exploited in their own homes, and despite having involved, caring parents. "I was an honor student, I was class president," Mr. Berry said. "My mom used all the latest child protective software. She checked what was happening in my room." She did -- and yet in some ways she didn't. Because she couldn't. And that's the dark side of the Net, a fundamental disconnect in our experience that we will have grave trouble getting used to, if we ever can: You can no longer tell who's in the room with your child, with your spouse, with your employee -- or where that person is. It wasn't so long ago that people doing things they shouldn't do needed privacy to go astray -- if you were in the same room as your child or spouse or employee, you could see what they were doing, could hear one side of any conversations, could expect to know if something were amiss. Husbands didn't call their mistresses in the living room while their wives balanced the checkbook, employees didn't hand company secrets to rivals who blithely dropped by their desk, and children certainly didn't have mysterious talks with a stranger on the phone or at the door. Repeated absences had to explained, not to mention strange things on bank and credit-card statements. Now, things are different. Sure, that person -- he or she needn't be a child -- is sitting right there in the room with you. But are they really there, the way you assume they are? In a very real way they may not be. Email and instant messaging can let that person have a secret conversation right under your nose, with no trace but the anonymous tap-tap of keys. Meanwhile, where has the screen they're looking at so intently taken them? Nearly everyone has found something unsettling or repellent on their computer screen after clicking on a Web link sent by someone who shouldn't have shared it, following a bizarre search result out of curiosity, or receiving strange spam. Pressing the Delete key or closing the browser will usually put things right, but a queasy sense of violation remains: Those thoughts/pictures/sounds were right here, in my living room or bedroom or workplace, where I normally feel safe. But for most of us, such experiences are exceptions. And our usual feeling of safety, of being in control, can get us to lower our defenses. It can keep us from worrying about what the person across the room at the computer is doing -- and leave kids susceptible to online predators with practice at role-playing and social engineering. As Mr. Eichenwald put it, kids "are not being approached by a predator in the park. Rather, they are in their own homes, feeling safe. They feel comfortable on the Internet, in ways we may not recognize. There is no one else there, just a small, silent device nearby. There is a level of unreality about it, a simple lack of comprehension." Throw in Webcams, and you have a potentially toxic mix. (Here's hoping Mr. Berry's testimony has led to a tidal wave of parents tearing Webcams out of kids' rooms.) There are undoubtedly other factors that leave children like Mr. Berry vulnerable -- a pop culture that applauds calculated displays of toughness, vulgarity and exhibitionism; a reality-show-fueled belief that seeking attention can make you a star; changing mores among teens who are sexually precocious without the necessary emotional underpinnings; and of course the age-old desire to shock one's parents while basking in the invulnerability of youth. But that said, the level of unreality Mr. Eichenwald describes is one many of us share, to one degree or another -- we simply haven't had time to accustom ourselves to the Internet's mix of anonymity and its ability to erase distance, or to the fact that the tool we love in one context can be put to frightening use in another. We marvel at how the Net lets small, far-flung groups get together -- but what works for woodworkers, toy collectors or parents of children with disabilities also works for terrorists and child predators. It's important, when we're scared and wondering whether it might not be better just to pull the plug, to remember that the Internet isn't all darkness: As Parry Aftab of WiredSafety.org told the subcommittee, "[t]oo often blamed for everything from the Black Plague to the sinking of the Titanic, the Internet is a wonderful tool for learning, communication and entertainment. It levels the playing field between the haves and the have-nots. All children look alike online. No one is classified by their race, ethnic origin, religion, accent or physical ability. Online they are all just children." But of course they're not all just children -- some of them are just pretending. As Mr. Berry noted, when he was 13 he set up his Webcam (sent free for signing up with EarthLink) in hopes that it "would help me meet other teenagers online, maybe even find a few girls my age. That never happened. No teenager outside of those in the Webcam pornography business ever contacted me. But, I did hear from many child predators." Ms. Aftab's reminder of the Internet's marvels shouldn't be forgotten. But it isn't the whole story -- her testimony went on to discuss the mix of good advice, education and technical solutions needed to let kids take advantage of the Net's wonders without falling prey to its dangers. It's a struggle that's new to us, but one that from now on will always be with us. Online, the good and the bad are inextricably bound together; to put an ugly twist on the old joke, on the Internet nobody knows you're a child molester -- and the dark places of the world are only a mouse click away. Drop me a line at realtime(a)wsj.com7 -- comments will be posted periodically in Real Time. If you don't want your comments considered for Real Time, please make that clear. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' _______________________________________________ Clips mailing list Clips(a)philodox.com http://www.philodox.com/mailman/listinfo/clips --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

[Clips] IBM to Offer Encryption System Based on Chips for PCs, PDAs
by R. A. Hettinga 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

--- begin forwarded text Delivered-To: clips(a)philodox.com Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:06:26 -0400 To: Philodox Clips List <clips(a)philodox.com> From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah(a)shipwright.com> Subject: [Clips] IBM to Offer Encryption System Based on Chips for PCs, PDAs Reply-To: rah(a)philodox.com Sender: clips-bounces(a)philodox.com <http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB114462203713721272.html> The Wall Street Journal April 10, 2006 IBM to Offer Encryption System Based on Chips for PCs, PDAs By WILLIAM M. BULKELEY April 10, 2006; Page B4 International Business Machines Corp. expects to announce a chip-based encryption system that could simplify and cut the cost of how information is secured on personal computers, cellphones and personal digital assistants. The technology, "Secure Blue," is a method of designing part of a microprocessor to encrypt or scramble all the data it handles. The new encryption system is being launched as companies and governments are dealing with numerous instances of stealing of private data from laptop computers. Last month, a laptop containing unencrypted personal data on 196,000 customers was stolen from a Fidelity Investments employee's car. The design, IBM says, can foil skilled hackers who might try to reverse-engineer its circuits. "If someone tries to access the chip by tampering, it can commit suicide on the spot," said Tim Ravy, a vice president in IBM's technology-collaboration solutions unit. IBM said it has a customer who already is using the system, but it declined to name the customer. Encryption software is one way to thwart unauthorized access to data. But except in powerful, large computers, running encryption software can be time-consuming and inconvenient. IBM said its engineers will work with processor makers to design the security features into their products. Mr. Ravy declined to speak about pricing. IBM has implemented Secure Blue in its own Power processors, which it sells to other companies, and in two other processors. It said it plans to approach other processor makers and companies in the defense, consumer-electronics, financial-services and digital-media markets. "The need to protect content is growing exponentially," Mr. Ravy said. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' _______________________________________________ Clips mailing list Clips(a)philodox.com http://www.philodox.com/mailman/listinfo/clips --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

[Clips] Why Some People Put These Credit Cards In the Microwave
by R. A. Hettinga 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

--- begin forwarded text Delivered-To: clips(a)philodox.com Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:09:33 -0400 To: Philodox Clips List <clips(a)philodox.com> From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah(a)shipwright.com> Subject: [Clips] Why Some People Put These Credit Cards In the Microwave Reply-To: rah(a)philodox.com Sender: clips-bounces(a)philodox.com <http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB114463085998921417.html> The Wall Street Journal April 10, 2006 PAGE ONE Why Some People Put These Credit Cards In the Microwave Mr. Walker Took a Hammer To His New MasterCard -- To Stop the Radio Waves By SUSAN WARREN April 10, 2006; Page A1 When Brenden Walker got his new MasterCard PayPass ATM card in the mail last month, he headed to the gas station to try it out. To test the card's "Tap N Go" convenience, he passed it in front of the scanner, which activated with a beep and displayed the word "authorizing..." on its LCD screen. That was quite enough for Mr. Walker. Without completing the transaction, he put the card down on the pavement and took a hammer to it. "I gave it a couple of good whacks," he says. The PayPass card, which contains an embedded radio chip, had worked perfectly. Other companies have their own versions: Exxon (SpeedPass), American Express (ExpressPay) and Visa (Contactless and Blink). In each case, the cards use an embedded electronic chip with miniature antenna. When activated by a scanner, the chip transmits the user's account information via radio signals. In just the wave of a hand, the purchase amount is automatically drawn from an account. But Mr. Walker, a 37-year-old software engineer in Canton, Ohio, is one of a growing number of computer and technology experts who are becoming anxious about possible abuses of the technology. Mr. Walker fears that thieves will be able to eavesdrop on the radio transmission and buy gas at his expense. He also figures that he himself could walk past the pump and accidentally pay for somebody else's gas, though the card companies say he would have to get within two inches of the scanner to accomplish that feat. In any event, he wants no part of it. Hammering the card destroyed the chip. "I tried it again and...nothing," he says. "I might as well have been holding up a salami sandwich." As the chips become more widespread, other militants are seeking them out and destroying them. And a little industry is springing up on the Internet to pitch an array of devices meant to protect consumers from abuses of the technology, called radio frequency identification, or RFID. One example: wallets with metal shields built in that block radio signals. Radio chips have been around for decades performing other tasks, mostly related to security access. They are the invisible passports that allow motorists to breeze through highway tollbooths and let employees open their office doors. Pets and people are getting chip implants under their skin that carry identification or medical information. Governments are beginning to use radio chips in driver's licenses and passports. Retailers use them to track inventory. The banks that are now using chips in their credit and cash cards say they make transactions more efficient -- and more convenient for customers. Critics such as Mr. Walker worry that sensitive information will be intercepted. Some privacy advocates envision businesses and government furtively gathering personal data on unsuspecting consumers, and criminals taking identify theft to a whole new level. A German group called FoeBud, which describes itself as a civil-rights group for the digital age, is featuring an array of RFID-busting products in the organization's online store. Items include "deactivator nippers," which look remarkably like a common hole-punch, priced at about $7. The most popular item in the store has been a copper bracelet with a red light that blinks when it is near an RFID scanner, says Rena Tangens, FoeBud's founder. The store claims to have sold about a thousand bracelets so far at about $18. "People think this is a cool gadget," Ms. Tangens says. Others are using do-it-yourself methods for disabling radio chips, including microwaving them. The electromagnetic energy emitted by a microwave oven fries the chip and renders it useless. The downside: Tagged items might burst into flames in the process, warns Caspian, a consumer group campaigning against the widening use of radio tags. The group suggests cutting out the chip with a pair of scissors, puncturing it with a straight pin, crushing it or pulverizing it. Several Web sites boast about -- but don't yet sell -- devices with names like TagZapper and RFIDWasher, which are supposed to make disabling the tags easier. Technology experts say some of these "zappers" work by emitting a burst of electromagnetic energy that permanently destroys the tag. Unfortunately, they say, it might also fry other nearby electronics, including iPods and cellphones. Some techies in Germany figured out how to make a Zapper by modifying a disposable camera. When you hit the switch, instead of taking a picture, it emits a burst of electromagnetic energy that fries any nearby electronics. They have posted an extensive description of their project on the Internet. Several technology experts contacted say it should work, but the developers did not respond to emails requesting comment. A Web site describing the gadget listed several potential hazards, including electric shocks and Federal Communications Commission law violations. It also warned, "Don't try it near your grandpa's pacemaker." Makers of products using RFID say privacy and security safeguards are being built into the chips to prevent abuses. MasterCard International says multiple layers of security are available to prevent MasterCard data from being stolen by electronic eavesdropping. It is up to the companies that issue the card to decide which security measures to adopt, says Art Kranzley, MasterCard's executive vice president in charge of new payment technologies. Customers who don't want RFID in their PayPass payment cards can ask to be issued an old-fashioned chipless card, says Mr. Kranzley. Kelly Lum, 23 years old, a computer-network engineer in Eatontown, N.J., recently bought a wallet online from a site called DIFRWear (RFID backwards). The wallet has a metal insert designed to shield her radio-chip bank card from being read without her knowledge. The card Ms. Lum carries came without any information about security safeguards, she says, so she decided to take no chances. "It's maybe a little bit of a paranoia thing, but hey, it's my credit rating," she says. Eric Caraszi, a 26-year-old computer programmer in Albany, N.Y., recently bought an RFID-proof wallet after having a conversation with a co-worker about different ways criminals might be able to exploit RFID-chip cards -- from sneaky scans on crowded elevators to high-powered scanners on the roadside that could mine passing traffic. "For every smart person trying to make a lock, there is going to be an equally smart person trying to unlock that lock," he notes. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' _______________________________________________ Clips mailing list Clips(a)philodox.com http://www.philodox.com/mailman/listinfo/clips --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

Re: loan request. 10 Apr 2006
by Shirley Simon 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

1 0

Re: [Clips] EFF: AT&T forwards all Internet traffic into NSA
by coderman 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

On 4/7/06, R. A. Hettinga <rah(a)shipwright.com> wrote: > ... > "The evidence that we are filing supports our claim that AT&T is diverting > Internet traffic into the hands of the NSA wholesale, in violation of > federal wiretapping laws and the Fourth Amendment," said EFF Staff Attorney > Kevin Bankston. > > "More than just threatening individuals' privacy, AT&T's apparent choice to > give the government secret, direct access to millions of ordinary > Americans' Internet communications is a threat to the Constitution itself. > We are asking the Court to put a stop to it now," said Bankston. i'm interested to see the monetary incentives behind this collaboration. when your competitors (and every other tier-3) are getting infrastructure investment and subsidy it is hard not to follow suit despite ethical qualms (if any of these carriers actually had ethical concerns before diverting traffic wholesale to the NSA).

2 2

[debi.jones@gmail.com: Re: [Geowanking] E911 // cellular trilateration accuracy]
by Eugen Leitl 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

----- Forwarded message from Debi Jones <debi.jones(a)gmail.com> -----

1 0

Low mortagge ratee approvall
by Rosalie Ruffin 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

1 0

[roger@sylvanascent.com: RE: [Geowanking] E911 // cellular trilateration accuracy]
by Eugen Leitl 10 Apr '06

10 Apr '06

----- Forwarded message from "roger(a)sylvanascent.com" <roger(a)sylvanascent.com> -----

1 0