Open Fabs [was: Aus hack computers]

grarpamp grarpamp at gmail.com
Sun Aug 21 11:36:24 PDT 2016


Second in thread...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chris <tmail299 at errtech.com>
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2016 13:58:29 -0400
Subject: Re: [tor-talk] Did Australian Authorities hack (US) computers
with Tor's help?
To: tor-talk at lists.torproject.org

On 2016-08-21 10:18 AM, Cannon wrote:
> On 08/21/2016 01:06 AM, Chris wrote:
>> Microsoft Windows is a threat to your security. All proprietary
>> software
>> is a threat. Intel and AMD are a threat to your security. There is
>> remote control functionality built into every Intel and AMD CPU since
>> 2009 and 2013
>
> USA technology is garbage. By default dont trust any tech company based
> out of the USA. I am not anti-armican, I just dont let patriotism blind
> me to reality of the world.

It would be naive to think that only the US government or American
companies are compromising our security and privacy. We have knowledge
of the Chinese backdooring home-grown systems based on ARM through
keyboard controller firmware and there have also been public statements
about such things being required in recent years (in response to US
actions).

Russia and Germany appear to be aware of problems with US processors as
they've stopped using x86 technology in certain places or funded
projects that deal with some of these issues. Where do you think the
funding to get CoreBoot for X86 came from on the Lenovos years ago?
LibreBoot which is completely free (meaning the complete sources are
available) is based off that work. Russia has moved to using typewriters
for security reasons and started designing its own CPUs too.

Now I don't have an example of Iran or North Korea doing anything
technologically as far as computers go- but in other areas they've
clearly demonstrated an understanding that for security reasons they
can't be dependent on foreign designed technology (particularly given
their opposition). These countries are designing all sorts of military
hardware even where they might otherwise be able to obtain such hardware
from friendly countries (to them, tanks, etc).

A start to securing our systems has to come from gaining access to the
complete set of source code for all core components. It's not feasible
to design many of these components from scratch. The costs are
astronomical (it'll cost millions of dollars just to design a CPU and
get some samples made, and that doesn't include manufacturing it,
testing it, or manufacturing it at a cost effective price point, without
the numbers you won't succeed, and nobody will use it then, and that
means it would be ridiculously expensive. To succeed you would have to
prepay 100 million dollars to have a line dedicated to you such that the
cost of the CPU drops to a point to be competitive on the market. This
is why All Winner, one company designing CPUs has been successful,
because if you get just a 100 CPUs manufactured 50% or more of those
will not work, but if you have a line dedicated to manufacturing your
CPU then they can keep adjusting the machinery and over a six month
period the production results improve. Now you don't have to throw away
50% of the CPUs because they are defective. Now you get to keep 95% of
the CPUs. All Winner has large quantities of its CPUs manufactured over
a sixth month period and then maintains a large stock of CPUs that are
sold over many years This is what makes All Winner's CPUs so
ridiculously cheap and competitive on the market. Comparatively
companies like AMD and Intel can't do that short of switching
architectures and that will mean these companies lose there
compatibility advantage. Eventually in the not so distant future you
will be able to buy a non-Intel/AMD CPU that is faster for less money.
Intel already can't produce its CPUs at a profit and remain competitive.

There are also very few companies or countries for that matter capable
of manufacturing the core components- like CPUs and wifi chips. For any
given core technology we have at best 5-6 companies capable of it. Every
other technology company then licenses the tech and has these companies
manufacture those core components for them. Companies like Microsoft,
Apple, and Dell don't manufacture anything. Not really. At best they
might have some people making already developed technology pretty.
Companies like Intel, AMD, Qualcomm Atheros, Samsung, and similar do
have design capabilities and sometimes manufacturing capabilities for
these types of core components. However even these companies whom are
designing these components don't always have sufficient facilities to do
the production or any for that matter. AMD doesn't manufacture anything
for example. Intel is now manufacturing other companies CPUs (Intel is
losing money and is losing face due technological failures that prevent
it from advancing its CPUs at competitive prices, and we're seeing that
already at a cost level, even if the prices sold at are competitive at
the moment).

Both US and UK citizens are working on free'ing us of hostile Chinese
and US technology/backdoors. Go check it out here:
https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68



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