pgp/gnupg

[David Kramer]

On Sat, 6 Oct 2001, dan moylan wrote:

>
> John Abreau wrote:
> >>> I'm also curious how many of us actually use PGP or GnuPG.

I used pgp at my past job, and still do, to communicate with co-workers
stuff I didn't want management to see.  Nothing illegal or immoral.  It
turned out to be a very good idea, based on what happened do coworkers who
didn't do this.

> what am i missing?  this is obviously stupid.  those of us who lived
> through the mccarthy red witch hunts are familiar with right wing,
> anti union bigotry.  that doesn't say to me that i need to encrypt
> everything i write.
>
> of course not, but exactly what files are we talking about?  those
> on my home computer, or those i send out as emails?  do i encrypt
> every evil thought i have stashed in a file on my personal computer?
>
> i have the feeling that i am totally missing the point which is
> obvious to everyone else.  my understanding is that firewalls (and
> admittedly mine is probably not good enough) are designed to keep
> undesirables out of my home computer.  my emails are fairly innocuous.
> i am not planning any terrorist activity.  what should i be encrypting?

Guess what- the witch hunts are coming back.  Only now they're not looking
for communists, they're looking for anyone who is using technology in a
way that they cannot understand and haven't legislated clearly yet.

Over the past couple of years, the federal government has shown that the
have no problem breaking into someone's home. confiscating anything more
complicated than a calculator, and holding onto it for years without ever
charging the victim with a crime.   While the stories in 2600 magazine are
often exaggerated, this stuff is happening.  It's not Tempest technology,
its FUD and ignorance we have to fear.

Now add to that the current hysteria and flurry of bills submitted for
acceptance that are trying to give the federal government broad sweeping
rights to both targeted and random surveilance of the internet, phone
lines, profiled people on the street, and monitoring bank account
transactions (already in place).  They're also trying to get the judges
out of the loop so they don't have to ask, or even report to, anyone
before they do it.  These laws WILL pass because the decision makers don't
understand the issues, and the people are scared.

Just because it's on your computer and not on the internet doesn't mean
the government can't get to it.

Call me paranoid, but I've now got all of my software and backups under
hidden lock and key.  And I don't even do any hacking.  But I do fit their
profiles.  You make your own choices.

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DDDD   David Kramer                           http://thekramers.net
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