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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
11/23/09
11/23/09
11/21/09
11/21/09
Instead, it looks like users were split between Firefox and Chrome for their new browser of choice.
Mazel tov, nerds: we're becoming the majority.
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/21/09
11/20/09
Actually, it didn't cause any trouble because it wasn't a backdoor - the NSA was just the technical authority to review Windows to ensure it met US export laws.
11/20/09
[www.cnn.com]
[en.wikipedia.org]
11/20/09
Thanks. That's the one - many people panicked, but even a decade after people figured out how to substitute their own keys for the built-in one, nothing has happened. There are far easier ways to snoop on and control a Windows PC; the NSA simply doesn't need to integrate such a device into the OS.
[www.schneier.com]
11/20/09
11/20/09
What's hilarious is people made the same claims back in the 70s, when the NBS went to the NSA for suggestions on DES, and the NSA told the NBS to change the s-box design. Everybody was convinced that the NSA had snuck secret backdoors into this wonderful encryption algorithm. Until 20 years later, when differential cryptanalysis was invented. Turns out that the design of DES would have been quite vulnerable to differential cryptanalysis, and it was only somehow by a freak coincidence *cough* *cough* that the s-box design kept it safe.
And what makes this particularly ludicrous: this whole issue stems from comments made by the NSA in public comments to congress. If they really snuck backdoors into the code, would they have been talking about it in a public hearing? Seriously? It seems like a conspiracy theory derived from the belief that the NSA is simultaneously a brilliant evil organization, and at the same time a group of bumbling buffoons.
11/20/09
I'm sure there's nothing here to worry about...
11/20/09
11/20/09
The Windows kernel on the other hand cannot be viewed by anyone, so whether MS or NSA admit or deny anything is useless to the outside world since no one can verify their claims.
11/20/09
So you shouldn't defend them because of their past goodwill. You should simply look at them as an organization with many conflicts-of-interest, and be wary when they 'collaborate' with complacent, market-share dominant companies.
Just like any other organization that has the power and interest to undermine Americans' rights, we shouldn't just rely upon trust to keep us safe.
[en.wikipedia.org]
11/20/09
Now, the windows kernel..heh, remember when the win2k (I think, maybe xp?) source was leaked? and it was hilarious?!
11/20/09
11/20/09
private void doEvilShit() {...}
You wouldn't just SEE it. You'de have to know exactly what you're looking for and understand every aspect of the code.
In complex code, undocumented functionality can hidden quite easily.
This is also why bugs still exist in ALL source-code. Regardless of it being open or closed source.
11/20/09
Second, lots of organizations, including foreign governments, have access to the Windows source code. It's not released to the world, but it's out there. It's even been leaked, on occasion.
@Borateen: @Coolmodo: @marissasentme: The NSA has been working with Microsoft on Windows for more than a decade. You can find their guide to security hardening various versions of Windows online, with a little googling. And for as long as they have been, they've been accused of slipping backdoors into Windows. I'm sure none of you remember the _NSAKEY debacle from Windows NT4. But see my above point: lots of people have access to the Windows source code, and as far as I know, nobody has ever found these purported NSA backdoors. It doesn't even make sense... slip backdoors into Windows... which the Chinese government gets access to? So what, the Chinese government can find the backdoor and use it to hack American government computers?
This hysteria over a purported NSA backdoor is just one any number of things people and government organizations could be doing to me. I see no reason to treat it any more credibly than any other. Lots of crap could be going on in the world, including the NSA slipping backdoors into Windows. But I see no reason why that is particularly more likely than any other possible threat out there. It's like the Calvin and Hobbes comic, where Calvin is perfectly happy, then sees and ad for some gum and now MUST HAVE IT for his own happiness. You all can buy into it if you want. I have better things to worry about.
@JessicaAlba: I'm not even American.
11/20/09
11/20/09
Coincidence? I think not.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Tivo'd Glenn Beck to watch for the 7th time.
11/20/09
The NSA is an intelligence gathering organisation and anyone reading this should not be naive to think they made a few recommendations to prevent viruses or Trojans from affecting the system.
You just need to look at history to see how businesses have colluded with intelligence agencies around the world.
So again, let us not be naive, wishful thinking is for children.
When in the past a company like MS would have completely denied working with the NSA, today people have become shrewd and witty, they can even market collusion as a great thing for the customer "hey this is NSA approved security man!".
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09