December 2011 - cypherpunks-legacy

"Carrier IQ and Facebook pose the least of your privacy threats"
by Gene Wirchenko 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Galen Gruman, *InfoWorld*, 2 Dec 2011 Users are regularly signing up for Big Brother-like tech that could result in the loss of insurance coverage or worse http://www.infoworld.com/t/internet-privacy/carrier-iq-and-facebook-pose-th… selected text: But the worst risk is what people aren't talking about: Big Brother-type technology used to monitor specific individuals and shape their behavior through penalties and rewards. If the government were doing this, we'd have people in the streets, but in the hands of private companies, these seductive methods convince people to naively agree to being controlled. Take, for example, Progressive Insurance's program of offering tracking devices to monitor how you drive. If you drive safely, as determined by Progressive, you get an discount. If you're determined to be unsafe, you pay the "normal" rate. Given insurance companies' business model -- pay out as little as possible, take in as much as possible -- the long-term result is obvious: "Unsafe" drivers will pay more, or they won't be eligible for insurance. It's not just Progressive. There's been a lot of excitement in the health care industry over monitoring devices that can make sure people are taking their medication, eating right, and even exercising. If you do what you're supposed to, you may get a discount, such as on medical insurance, a measure now being considered for employer-sponsored plans. If you don't, you may get nagged, pay more, or be denied coverage. The Orwellian name for such control approaches is "wellness incentives." Here is what one poster had to say about the medical monitoring. That last paragraph is particularly nasty: unbound55: A very good article pointing out activities that are already occurring that will impact people's lives far more than they think. My company has been on the leading edge of the health care tracking that is mentioned in this article. Already offering incentives for providing additional health information, they are now offering incentives for providing detailed health information such as height, weight, cholesterol, etc. The plan has already been announced that in another year that information will be provided to some kind of CSR that will make sure that your numbers either improve, or that you are actively working on improving your numbers...or you lose access to the premium insurance. It is only a half-step further to lose access to all insurance altogether by participating in the program. Unfortunately, most people do not understand the very real problem being started here. They likely will not understand it until they get bit by it. All they see is the discounts being offered. As someone who spent 9 years trying to get doctors to understand that I actually was exercising very well and ate correctly culminating in the discovery of Conn's Syndrome (the actual root cause of my very high hypertension), I shudder to think how I would have to deal with that with some under-educated CSR who would simply report that I clearly was lying about something. ------------------------------

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AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile admit to using Carrier IQ; Apple says it doesn't anymore (NNSquad)
by Lauren Weinstein 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

> AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile admit to using Carrier IQ; Apple says it > doesn't anymore + my comments > http://j.mp/rPycF6 (This message on Google+) - - - > http://j.mp/vVRV3J (Fierce Mobile) > "The controversy over Carrier IQ illegally tracking cell phone users' > activities continues. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and > T-Mobile USA have come forward, admitting to using Carrier IQ software, > albeit allegedly only to improve their network performance. On the other > end of the spectrum, Apple said it stopped using Carrier IQ's platform in > the latest version of its operating system, iOS 5." As I noted originally, it seems unwise to "pile on" in this situation, given that the facts are not entirely clear. In particular, it apparently has not yet been demonstrated that CIQ is actually *transmitting* specific user data that would be trigger wiretap laws, irrespective of ephemeral data collection on the device to gather service and use statistics that are being sent. My gut feeling is that in this case there may be parties opportunistically attacking ahead of the facts, and that it is quite possible that the failures in this situation are mainly ones of transparency, disclosure, and user control, rather than the much more serious issues of "wiretapping" per se. We shall see. ------------------------------

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AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile admit to using Carrier IQ; Apple says it doesn't anymore (NNSquad)
by Lauren Weinstein 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

> AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile admit to using Carrier IQ; Apple says it > doesn't anymore + my comments > http://j.mp/rPycF6 (This message on Google+) - - - > http://j.mp/vVRV3J (Fierce Mobile) > "The controversy over Carrier IQ illegally tracking cell phone users' > activities continues. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T), Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and > T-Mobile USA have come forward, admitting to using Carrier IQ software, > albeit allegedly only to improve their network performance. On the other > end of the spectrum, Apple said it stopped using Carrier IQ's platform in > the latest version of its operating system, iOS 5." As I noted originally, it seems unwise to "pile on" in this situation, given that the facts are not entirely clear. In particular, it apparently has not yet been demonstrated that CIQ is actually *transmitting* specific user data that would be trigger wiretap laws, irrespective of ephemeral data collection on the device to gather service and use statistics that are being sent. My gut feeling is that in this case there may be parties opportunistically attacking ahead of the facts, and that it is quite possible that the failures in this situation are mainly ones of transparency, disclosure, and user control, rather than the much more serious issues of "wiretapping" per se. We shall see. ------------------------------

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[cryptography] Introducing DM-Steg: Deniable encryption for Linux
by Eugen Leitl 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

----- Forwarded message from Leo Samulis <anagon(a)gmail.com> -----

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Skype flaw reveals users' location, file-downloading habits
by Monty Solomon 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Joan Goodchild, CSO Online, 1 Dec 2011 A team of researchers has uncovered an issue that imperils Skype users' privacy by putting their location and identity up for grabs Researchers have found a flaw in Skype that can expose your location, identity and the content you're downloading. Microsoft, which owns Skype, says they are working on the problem. The issue was uncovered earlier this year by a team of researchers from Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), MPI-SWS in Germany and INRIA in France and included Keith Ross, Stevens Le Blond, Chao Zhang, Arnaud Legout, and Walid Dabbous. The team presented the research in Berlin recently at the Internet Measurement Conference 2011 in a paper titled "I know where you are and what you are sharing." The researchers found several properties of Skype that can track not only users' locations over time, but also their peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing activity, according to a summary of the findings on the NYU-Poly web site. Earlier this year, a German researcher found a cross-site scripting flaw in Skype that could allow someone to change an account password without the user's consent. ... http://www.csoonline.com/article/695631/skype-flaw-reveals-users-location-f… - - - - Somini Sengupta, Skype Can Expose Your Location, Researchers Say, *The New York Times* blogs, 29 Nov 2011 http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/skype-can-expose-your-location-res… Remember when a prankster could make himself a general nuisance by calling your home phone and quickly hanging up? The equivalent of a prank call on Skype, the popular voice-over-Internet-Protocol service, can be much more than a nuisance. If you are logged in to Skype, a prankster - or thief or spy - can effectively track where you are and in some circumstances, what you do and even what you download, according to an experiment led by Keith Ross, a computer science professor at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in Brooklyn. Mr. Ross, along with his collaborators at the French computer research institute, Inria, followed 10,000 randomly selected Skype users over 16 days. ... ------------------------------

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Skype flaw reveals users' location, file-downloading habits
by Monty Solomon 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Joan Goodchild, CSO Online, 1 Dec 2011 A team of researchers has uncovered an issue that imperils Skype users' privacy by putting their location and identity up for grabs Researchers have found a flaw in Skype that can expose your location, identity and the content you're downloading. Microsoft, which owns Skype, says they are working on the problem. The issue was uncovered earlier this year by a team of researchers from Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), MPI-SWS in Germany and INRIA in France and included Keith Ross, Stevens Le Blond, Chao Zhang, Arnaud Legout, and Walid Dabbous. The team presented the research in Berlin recently at the Internet Measurement Conference 2011 in a paper titled "I know where you are and what you are sharing." The researchers found several properties of Skype that can track not only users' locations over time, but also their peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing activity, according to a summary of the findings on the NYU-Poly web site. Earlier this year, a German researcher found a cross-site scripting flaw in Skype that could allow someone to change an account password without the user's consent. ... http://www.csoonline.com/article/695631/skype-flaw-reveals-users-location-f… - - - - Somini Sengupta, Skype Can Expose Your Location, Researchers Say, *The New York Times* blogs, 29 Nov 2011 http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/skype-can-expose-your-location-res… Remember when a prankster could make himself a general nuisance by calling your home phone and quickly hanging up? The equivalent of a prank call on Skype, the popular voice-over-Internet-Protocol service, can be much more than a nuisance. If you are logged in to Skype, a prankster - or thief or spy - can effectively track where you are and in some circumstances, what you do and even what you download, according to an experiment led by Keith Ross, a computer science professor at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in Brooklyn. Mr. Ross, along with his collaborators at the French computer research institute, Inria, followed 10,000 randomly selected Skype users over 16 days. ... ------------------------------

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Готовимся к годовому отчету за 2011 год
by Крутякова: годовой отчет 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

06 декабря 2011 г. Готовимся к годовому отчету за 2011 год. Бухгалтерский учет НДС. Налог на прибыль (код Москвы) 742\91/98 <<>> Ч45*4095 Цель: исчерпывающая информация по вопросам, связанным с исчислением и уплатой НДС с учетом изменений 2011 года. По всем спорным вопросам приводится позиция контролирующих органов, мнения независимых экспертов и арбитражная практика. Программа: 1. Бухгалтерская отчетность. * Упрощенные правила ведения учета для малых предприятий (приказ Минфина России от 08.11.2011 ╧ 144н); * Анализ изменений, внесенных Приказом Минфина России от 24.12.2010 ╧ 186н, а также возникающих расхождений между бухгалтерским и налоговым учетом по следующим вопросам: * учет основных средств, в т.ч объектов недвижимости; * создание резервов по сомнительным долгам; * оценочные обязательства, в т.ч. резервы на отпуска; * расходы будущих периодов. 2. Налог на прибыль. Применение новаций 2011 года. Сложные вопросы. * Учет расходов на оплату труда: * иные выплаты, предусмотренные трудовым (коллективным) договором; * возмещение затрат на уплату процентов по жилищным займам и кредитам. * Учет расходов в виде процентов по займам и кредитам, расчет предельной суммы процентов. * Деление расходов на прямые и косвенные с учетом позиции налоговых органов. * Учет доходов и расходов прошлых лет. Исправление ошибок прошлых лет в свете новых разъяснений налоговых органов. * Порядок уплаты ежемесячных авансовых платежей по налогу на прибыль в 2011 году. * Новые правила налогообложения дивидендов. Применение нулевой ставки по дивидендам. 3. НДС. Обзор изменений законодательства и новых разъяснений налоговых органов * Изменения в порядке исчисления НДС, внесенные Законом ╧ 145-ФЗ: * учет суммовых разниц; * корректировка стоимости отгруженных товаров (работ, услуг), корректировочные счета-фактуры; * определение налоговой базы при уступке права требования; * раздельный учет и восстановление "входного" НДС; * применение нулевой ставки; * определение места реализации работ (услуг). * Сложные вопросы: * учет НДС, исчисленного со штрафных санкций по хозяйственным договорам; * налогообложение ошибочно поступивших на расчетный счет сумм; * отражение авансов, когда отгрузка производится в течение 5 дней с даты аванса; * вычеты в более позднем периоде; * восстановление НДС при списании ТМЦ с баланса. Стоимость участия: 8 000 руб. Вся информация по тел: Московский код; 792-2I22 : Ч45\Ч095

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Re: [cryptography] if MitM via sub-CA is going on, need a name-and-shame catalog (Re: really sub-CAs for MitM deep packet inspectors?)
by Eugen Leitl 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

----- Forwarded message from Adam Back <adam(a)cypherspace.org> -----

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Exam Cheating on Long Island Hardly a Secret (Anderson/Applebome)
by Monty Solomon 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Jenny Anderson and Peter Applebome, *The New York Times*, 2 Dec 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/education/on-long-island-sat-cheating-was… The suspected test takers came from prominent, respected families, some of them in financial distress - among the five facing felony charges were the sons of a well-known lawyer, the president of the local library board and a wealthy philanthropic family. The youths who are accused of paying them as much as $3,600 to take SAT and ACT tests were largely undistinguished students willing to cut corners to strengthen their modest sums. The combination yielded one of the most conspicuous cheating scandals in memory, a telling reflection on the college admissions rat race - and, perhaps, contemporary ethics more broadly. According to prosecutors, principals, parents and teenagers here on Long Island's Gold Coast, it was common knowledge at some of the nation's most prestigious high schools that if you had the money, you could find someone with a sharper vocabulary and a surer grasp of geometry to fill in the blanks for you. ... ------------------------------ Sent: Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:01 AM From: Gordon Peterson <gep2(a)terabites.com> Subject: Apple iTunes ... Trojan horse that gives governments access to your computer and files [From Dave Farber's IP] It is being announced that the iTunes software you probably have on your computer has a purposely built-in back door that allows governments to surreptitiously log into your computer and prowl around through your personal data and files. And of course, virtually everyone allows iTunes to go through firewalls and other security protections that would otherwise prevent malicious intrusion. (This web page is in French, if you're using Google Chrome and don't understand French, I suggest you use the Google Chrome translation feature.) http://www.nikopik.com/2011/12/itunes-un-cheval-de-troie-a-la-solde-des-gou… Gordon Peterson II http://personal.terabites.com ------------------------------

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Exam Cheating on Long Island Hardly a Secret (Anderson/Applebome)
by Monty Solomon 02 Dec '11

02 Dec '11

Jenny Anderson and Peter Applebome, *The New York Times*, 2 Dec 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/education/on-long-island-sat-cheating-was… The suspected test takers came from prominent, respected families, some of them in financial distress - among the five facing felony charges were the sons of a well-known lawyer, the president of the local library board and a wealthy philanthropic family. The youths who are accused of paying them as much as $3,600 to take SAT and ACT tests were largely undistinguished students willing to cut corners to strengthen their modest sums. The combination yielded one of the most conspicuous cheating scandals in memory, a telling reflection on the college admissions rat race - and, perhaps, contemporary ethics more broadly. According to prosecutors, principals, parents and teenagers here on Long Island's Gold Coast, it was common knowledge at some of the nation's most prestigious high schools that if you had the money, you could find someone with a sharper vocabulary and a surer grasp of geometry to fill in the blanks for you. ... ------------------------------ Sent: Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:01 AM From: Gordon Peterson <gep2(a)terabites.com> Subject: Apple iTunes ... Trojan horse that gives governments access to your computer and files [From Dave Farber's IP] It is being announced that the iTunes software you probably have on your computer has a purposely built-in back door that allows governments to surreptitiously log into your computer and prowl around through your personal data and files. And of course, virtually everyone allows iTunes to go through firewalls and other security protections that would otherwise prevent malicious intrusion. (This web page is in French, if you're using Google Chrome and don't understand French, I suggest you use the Google Chrome translation feature.) http://www.nikopik.com/2011/12/itunes-un-cheval-de-troie-a-la-solde-des-gou… Gordon Peterson II http://personal.terabites.com ------------------------------

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