Blackberry, iOS, Android ???

Michael Ludwig

Michael Ludwig

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Jul 6, 2009
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I didn't want to hijack Mike Jr's thread about harassing phone calls so I thought I'd start a new one here.
With the recent revelation that the RCMP has the encryption keys to Blackberry's OS, and Apple having stated unequivocally that they will not provide a backdoor to their OS, how many of you Blackberry users are seriously considering a change? What's Google's stance on letting the law have their encryption keys?
The first question that comes to mind is "If I'm not doing anything illegal, what do I have to worry about?". In a perfect world, nothing. But, suppose one of your trucks has a catastrophic accident in New Brunswick as an example. First thing the RCMP is going to do is confiscate everything your driver has ... his ELD or logbook, all his paperwork, and his cellphone ... and suppose his cellphone is a Blackberry, as is yours, and both are locked. Now, your under no obligation to unlock that phone for them as you have a right not to incriminate yourself. Your not at fault in this instance, but prudent protection of your company, your driver, and yourself dictates that you don't do anything without the legal department's okay on the matter, and you know legal is going to make them dot every I and cross every T.
Technically they need a warrant to get into your phones, and they will surely get one, and since RCMP have the encryption keys to Blackberry, they'll be able to see what you've been up to. Whatever conversations you have had, whatever conversations your driver has had, and especially the conversations between you and that driver will be read. Suppose in a totally different conversation, completely unrelated to the incident at had, you admitted to doing something stupid (and illegal) ???
I'm not an Apple fan. In fact I have a Blackberry, but that iOS is starting to look pretty good.
 
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That whole thing with the terrorists in CA and the Apple wasn't a matter of encryption, it was a matter of unlocking the phone in that it was password protected. The Blackberry still has the best encryption, but I think we all know they're done with hardware. The key is to get that software on your Android and password protect your phone if it's that important to you.

Apple products are great from a user-friendly standpoint. But you are actually paying more to get less relative to other products. Androids have better screens, more memory, and many of them are upgradeable. An Apple product cannot be upgraded.
 
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theman said:
That whole thing with the terrorists in CA and the Apple wasn't a matter of encryption, it was a matter of unlocking the phone in that it was password protected. The Blackberry still has the best encryption, but I think we all know they're done with hardware. The key is to get that software on your Android and password protect your phone if it's that important to you.

Apple products are great from a user-friendly standpoint. But you are actually paying more to get less relative to other products. Androids have better screens, more memory, and many of them are upgradeable. An Apple product cannot be upgraded.
Click to expand...

All encryption is opened by a password. That's what encryption means. The code is encrypted via a password. If you have the key the code will be decoded.

I don't know what you would have on your phone in an accident that will help the legal case. If you told your driver for example to drive out of hours you are doing something illegal. If you decide to put that in text you are putting yourself in danger.

All in all we live in a society where communication and everything you say is controlled and watched by the NSA. All your internet connections are routed to Chicago so the NSA is documenting all your network activity.
 
"All in all we live in a society where communication and everything you say is controlled and watched by the NSA. All your internet connections are routed to Chicago so the NSA is documenting all your network activity."

No offense, but being someone with a significant background is data centers and Telco's the above statement is nowhere near accurate.... INTL data and voice communications are monitored mainly at exit or transit points. Its very public knowledge that AT&T for example has leased Telco rooms in every major switching center to the NSA for years in the USA and overseas for their "needs"..

IP/VoIP/SS7 traffic is NOT all routed via Chicago.

In Canada its not the NSA we need to be concerned about, its the CSE that monitors inbound and outbound communications from Canada, and with the Five Eyes arrangement, if Canada can't legally monitor it cause its not foreign, then guess what.... any of our five eyes partners can do it on our behalf.....

Except from https://www.cse-cst.gc.ca
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"CSE is one of Canada’s key security and intelligence organizations, focussed on collecting foreign signals intelligence in support of the Government of Canada’s priorities, and on helping protect the computer networks and information of greatest importance to Canada. We also provide assistance to federal law enforcement and security organizations in their legally authorized activities, when they may require our unique technical capabilities.

CSE’s mandate and authorities are defined in the National Defence Act, which requires CSE to do three things:

  1. to acquire and use information from the global information infrastructure for the purpose of providing foreign intelligence, in accordance with Government of Canada intelligence priorities;
  2. to provide advice, guidance and services to help ensure the protection of electronic information and of information infrastructures of importance to the Government of Canada;
  3. to provide technical and operational assistance to federal law enforcement and security agencies in the performance of their lawful duties.
-----
 
EricG said:
"All in all we live in a society where communication and everything you say is controlled and watched by the NSA. All your internet connections are routed to Chicago so the NSA is documenting all your network activity."

No offense, but being someone with a significant background is data centers and Telco's the above statement is nowhere near accurate.... INTL data and voice communications are monitored mainly at exit or transit points. Its very public knowledge that AT&T for example has leased Telco rooms in every major switching center to the NSA for years in the USA and overseas for their "needs"..

IP/VoIP/SS7 traffic is NOT all routed via Chicago.

In Canada its not the NSA we need to be concerned about, its the CSE that monitors inbound and outbound communications from Canada, and with the Five Eyes arrangement, if Canada can't legally monitor it cause its not foreign, then guess what.... any of our five eyes partners can do it on our behalf.....

Except from https://www.cse-cst.gc.ca
------
"CSE is one of Canada’s key security and intelligence organizations, focussed on collecting foreign signals intelligence in support of the Government of Canada’s priorities, and on helping protect the computer networks and information of greatest importance to Canada. We also provide assistance to federal law enforcement and security organizations in their legally authorized activities, when they may require our unique technical capabilities.

CSE’s mandate and authorities are defined in the National Defence Act, which requires CSE to do three things:

  1. to acquire and use information from the global information infrastructure for the purpose of providing foreign intelligence, in accordance with Government of Canada intelligence priorities;
  2. to provide advice, guidance and services to help ensure the protection of electronic information and of information infrastructures of importance to the Government of Canada;
  3. to provide technical and operational assistance to federal law enforcement and security agencies in the performance of their lawful duties.
-----
Click to expand...
Don't have much time to explain to you, but university of Toronto did an actual research paper on where most packets are routed to. The actual term is boomerang routes. All ISPs have been doing this for years now and the CSE has no control over it.

Here is the summary:
http://media.utoronto.ca/media-rele...us-increasing-exposure-to-state-surveillance/

Here is the website UofT setup to show where packets are mostly sent to:
https://ixmaps.ca/
 
youngtea,

I know boomerang routes.... a lot has changed with private peering and private/public peering points..... but its not as drastic as UoT made it seem to be. I know of 3 data centers in the GTA, that have locked rented Telco closets with some very interesting juniper and other splitting equipment inside, which is maintained by a foreign ...... entities.

151 Front St for starters.... I won't even begin to discuss how companies like Equinox affect how traffic is routed... this board is transportation based not telcom based.

either way the only proven methods of secured mobile communication are via companies like https://www.silentcircle.com or http://www.boeing.com/defense/boeing-black/index.page which offer highly secured and encrypted devices and its totally dependant the using the apps and tools they provide, any additional software added to the device exposes potential security risks.

Basically the rule of thumb is.... if it should be off grid, then keep it off grid. Don't put something 'on-net/grid' if you want it to remain secure, state sponsored intelligence gathering is done by many countries not just the USA.
 
I would just like to say that if anyone thinks that anything is is PRIVATE today you are delusional... The FBI did, after all, get that terrorist's phone unlocked... by a hacker (yeah right). My name has CIA in it and this is often the reason why people do not get my e-mails. The higher the security risk at the border, the more chances that my e-mails won't go through, especially if destined to the US. Spoke to my brother about this (He is a high ranked consultant to the DND in communications) and he confirmed my theory. He is not on any social network and does not leave his computer on if he leaves it. He said that he probably knows too much but he has warned me that it is very dangerous to leave our computers on 24/7. So, if you think that your cell phones, or land lines for that matter, are secure... heaven help you
 
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