Snowden triggers flood of Crapware [was: Gruveo, more secure skype?]

Cathal (Phone) cathalgarvey at cathalgarvey.me
Thu Jul 24 01:46:35 PDT 2014


That is a problem with most desktop or laptop computers, too. I don't think "runs on a smartphone" is practically different from "neglects client endpoint security". A properly built and programmed smartphone is indistinguishable from a regular computer.

On 24 July 2014 09:29:11 GMT+01:00, stef <s at ctrlc.hu> wrote:
>On Thu, Jul 24, 2014 at 08:39:35AM +0200, Stephan Neuhaus wrote:
>> On 2014-07-23, 23:59, stef wrote:
>> > exactly this prompted me to come up with the seven rules of thumb
>to detect
>> > snakeoil:
>> > 
>> >     not free software
>> >     runs in a browser
>> >     runs on a smartphone
>> >     the user doesn't generate, or exclusively own the private
>encryption keys
>> >     there is no threat model
>> >     uses marketing-terminology like "cyber", "military-grade"
>> >     neglects general sad state of host security
>> > 
>> 
>> In order to qualify as snake oil according to this definition, do all
>of
>> these have to be true, or is any criterion sufficient?
>
>any is enough, but combo-bonuses are combo-bonuses.
>
>> Because if it's "any", then this
>https://www.cylab.cmu.edu/safeslinger/ is
>> snakeoil, which I think is unfair. (Note that I'm not saying that
>this is a
>> secure app; I haven't looked at the code. But you can't fault the
>authors on
>> threat modelling etc. Its only "fault" is that it runs on a smart
>phone.)
>
>well, you have a baseband stack behind it, and a vendor/provider
>delivering
>stuff without your consent, etc...
>
>-- 
>otr fp: https://www.ctrlc.hu/~stef/otr.txt

-- 
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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