[liberationtech] The Future of Security Journalism

[coderman]

On 1/29/15, J.M. Porup <jm at porup.com> wrote:
> ... If we don't wish to be serfs in the new feudal, digital
> world, we need to re-disrupt the disruption, and invent new tools that
> ensure human liberty and dignity. ... that time
> is short, and the New Dark Age is nearly upon us.


as one who is always fond of the question,
 "what's your threat model?"


the implication appears to be two fold:

1. good security journalism, aka "activist journalism", begs forth
selective and retributive prosecution through open-ended legislation
(CFAA, et. al.) as cover.

2. technical sophistication pursuing these prosecutions is now, thanks
to the cyber-industrial-complex, at a point where law enforcement uses
techniques recently considered nation state intelligence caliber.


thus to pursue "activist security journalism" that is not powers that
be sanctioned "mainstream security regurgitation" journalism,

your threat model is:
 securing yourself and your sources against
  nation state dragnet and targeted attacks,
   including tailored access and special collection.


this is currently considered a "Hard Problem" (TM)(R) even with
decades dedicated to the challenge.  i do take hope in the fact that
most earth humans are not coding to hard problems, but instead to
easy, well paying ones.  perhaps different incentives will play a
bigger role for security?