A few months ago there was a problem with the email list for the group. I think for now I have got ahead of it, but the matter underscored my long standing concerns about using “their” infrastructure for commination (also applies to cell phones and increasingly even what we think of a traditional land line, it is no longer traditional)
With one exception which I will address later in this all communications go through a telco controlled server. The use of encryption does not help and may even serve as a red flag “look at me”. All the western world encryption has been developed with funding from the NSA and a quiet requirement to have a backdoor the government can use to decrypt. If encryption worked they would not let us use it. All other the other encryption has the unmistakable pattern of close association with other nation’s intelligence services. Anything you post or say on the phone or net is not secure from the long noses in government intelligence agencies.
Before I go further I should mention I did take a 9 month ultra intense high level IT security course Obtained a number of certification (think all of them have expired – one needs to recert every few years but the basic security principles have not changed.
In the beginning the first significantly used other than email was facebook. Facebook was officially launched on February 4, 2004, the same day that DARPA’s LifeLog program was cancelled. This program, which aimed to create a comprehensive electronic database of an individual’s life activities, including credit card purchases, web browsing, communications, and physical location. Of course that was just a coincidence. Since then anything transmitted wirelessly by definition can not be considered secure and private.
Since then some newer theoretically more secure and private forms of communication have emerged such as Signal and Telegram. Signal was developed with funding from the Open Technology Fund (OTF) which is funded by the US congress. I think that is all that needs to be said about Signal. Many especially Facebook, Signal and Telegram require one to have a personal tracking device (PDT) otherwise known as a cell phone to either use or atleast install. Not everyone wants use or have a PDT
The development of Telegram is a bit more involved but ultimately shows a strong association with the Russian Government and their security agencies. The Durov brothers may have started out especially with their earlier app to be every thing in terms of privacy one would want, but along the way telegram has become increasingly associated with Russian intelligence agencies. Despite the apparent opposition of the Russian government to Telegram, now I understand it to be the go to app for the Russian government much as Signal is used by the US government. All of the afor mention including email goes through telco controlled central servers. In the case of Telegram it goes though private servers of a company with known ties to Russian government and especially Russian intelligence agencies. While no proof is available the Russian Intelligence agencies have access to the servers, the unmistakable pattern and probability is there. It has been shown they have given personal information to both the US and Indian government and one can assume to many others as well.
Basically if one uses their infrastructure assume your commination and use is compromised. There is one form of chat/communication that does not go through a central server and may be more secure. It is referred to as peer to peer. There are a number of graphic user interface (GUI) that use the system based the forgettable protocol of XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol ). There a number of GUIs that use this protocol for computers, tablets and cell phones. All will communicate with the others and offer a range of services within the protocol. After looking at them I found “Gajim” is most likely the most universal with the most services available (includes not just text but also video and audio)
Regularly there are new forms of communicating over the net. As a matter of principal one should regularly review the forms they use and be open to what was once good has become comprised.
Ultimately one has to accept that especially over the net ones communication can be compromised.
