Security issues -was- Re: [MLB-WIRELESS] Applications on the melb-wireless network

[Ben Anderson]

> >  > Yes, the encryption will need to improve
> >
> >Watch legal developments as well.
> >
> >  > A node having kiddie porn does in **no way guarantee** that the
> >nodes around
> >>  it are guilty of broadcasting it.
>
> AFAIK guilt ensues if the carrier has been informed of the content
> and not taken reasonable steps to prevent carriage or storage.  This
> provision was inserted into the anti-porn laws to protect ISPs.
>
> The argument over whether this motivates *for* or *against*
> centralized organisation could go either way.  I would plump for
> "against".  Criminal acts by one or more nodes should not impact on
> the rest of the melbwireless community if at all possible.

Logically, morally and socially, I think this makes sense...  if the law
doesn't currently encapsulate it, I think it should, and (hopefully) will
eventually cover it.  At least by encrypting everything we've protected
individual nodes by the difficulty of actually policing the network.  Though
once that policing is done, the legal ramifications are currently the same.
Making the policing hard in an initial implimentation makes sense to get the
network to scale.


> >The data could have come on CD, on a
> >>  wired network, on a roaming wireless node...  And being encrypted,
unless
> >>  someone is sitting there taking a copy of the network layer data, then
it's
> >>  going to be basically impossible to prove beyond any kind of
reasonable
> >>  doubt.
> >
> >Which ASIO will do they moment they smell a rat, and they probably WILL
ANYWAY
> >until they get the hang of what we are doing, just to be safe and sure.
> >
> >We are in heady times for this sort of power-to-the-people stuff.
>
> In Australia right now:
>
> ASIO can obtain a warrant to enter your system, retrieve and alter
> data, and remove any and all trace of their entry.

I know, and this law irritates me a lot.  I don't think it ever makes sense
to authorise 'big brother' to do things that are morally incorrect.  /me
points at "animal farm, george orwell" again as reference material for how
small steps that seem innocent enough lead to a downward slide...


> The Defense Signals Directorate can (as of this week) legally spy on
> communications between Australian citizens if they are deemed to be
> engaged in activities which (amongst other provisions) pose a threat
> to Australia's national security *or*economic*wellbeing*

Yeah, that's worrying isn't it.  "Umm, your ubiquitous public network is
reducing the amount of tax we make off communicaitons carriers.  Jail time"

Scary stuff.  And wrong, in my opinion.  We should be standing up and
fighting against silly legal infractions on what I think are socially
reasonable rights.

> Now what defines economic wellbeing?  The profitability of commercial
> telcos?  Woodchip exporters?  Arms manufacturers?  Nuclear waste dump
> consortia?  Organisers of World Economic Forums?

And the list goes on.  It's one of those open ended reasons that basically
let "them" do whatever they feel like.


> >GPS is not as accurate as you think.  No one will be able to find your
house
> >with just GPS co-ordinates.
> >
> >I think  :-/
>
> accurate to one metre since the encryption was switched off.

We could purposefully water it down... it only needs to be accurate enough
to ensure the broadcast occurs in the destination's "listening zone"

Ben.


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