Cybercrime Treaty — Hidden Costs For All 100
linuxtelephony writes in with an article at CIO Insight about a cybercrime treaty drafted in Europe with help from the US. It has implications for just about everyone with a network. From the article: "Civil libertarians are especially concerned about the sweeping authority given to participating countries to seize information from private parties as they investigate cybercrimes, even when the activity being investigated isn't a crime in the country where the data is located... Telecommunications companies object to provisions that require member countries to establish and enforce potent data-retention policies for network traffic, and require any operator of a computer network to respond to requests for information from any participating country without compensation of any kind... The provisions for data retention and production apply to any operator of a computer network, not just telecoms... Worldwide law-enforcement agencies, in other words, may now avail themselves of the opportunity to outsource their most expensive problems to you."
data-retention policies for network traffic ??? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:data-retention policies for network traffic ??? (Score:5, Insightful)
As long as the vast majority of connections are plaintext, it will be easy for the snoop-happy authorities to compress traffic down to the most important portions (URLs, text of IMs rather than protocol overhead, etc.) then log them permanently.
If we encrypt everything, it will simply become infeasible to perform long-term dragnet surveillance of innocent people. When someone is suspected of a crime, police will need to investigate that specific person, rather than assume everyone alive is a criminal. If you work in a position where you have influence, where you can make programming and protocol design decisions, hopefully you'll take this into account and help stop the surveillance state before it encompasses everything.
We need universal encryption for no less noble purpose than the preservation of any semblance of justice in society.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
In the old PGP documentation (and I'm mangling the wording), it stated that one should encrypt even trivial E-mail. Its just the same as putting something in an envelope rather than writing all your personal stuff on a postcard and sending it.
Signing and encrypting E-mail is easy these days. You use a S/MIME compatible E-mail client (Thunderbird, Mail.app, Outlook, Pegasus Mail, Eudora, mutt, even elm and pine have ways of being able to un
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Frankly, I would love to see all email clients come with built-in encryption in such a manner that you NEED to create a key (it could be a very sim
Encrypt the channel. (Score:3, Interesting)
This is handy for me because it is far more likely that I'll have to grep through a month's worth of email looking for one message than it is that the government will have any LEGIT reason to search through the same mail.
But for just about everything you send from your personal account, spend some time and do it encrypted.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
If you please, explain (Score:2)
Huh? Could you please explain the reasoning behind this? In my organization, we're rapidly moving toward encrypting all internal email (and as much external traffic as we can). I can't imagine any organization where there's NO data that isn't recognized as sufficiently sensitive that it should be protected when it's put in em
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
As long as the encryption keys are available or can be made available, I don't see why logging the encrypted communication would be a problem. This sounds like a paranoid company worried about people emailing off trade secrets or somesuch; they're probably reading all your email communications too.
Come to think of it, this might be a pretty good way around data-retention laws -- retain everything, just like the government want, but it's encrypted, and the encryption keys are in the hands of the individual
Re: (Score:2)
How many times have you heard of some group of people being treated like criminals, only to then fulfill that prophecy and resort t
Re: (Score:1)
On a point of interest: do the french government use encryption? Or are they an easy target if anyone wanted someone to run away from them...
Re: (Score:2)
There are a lot more people copying MP3s than there are people encrypting all their email conversation. Where is the public outrage?
Re: (Score:1)
The public outrage will come from a corporation (ok, so my definition of public is a little vague here). MP3's are, whilst in the same grouping, a different point... as far as the user is concerned downloading an MP3 doesn't compromise their security, but having "weak" security on their banking website allows for it.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:data-retention policies for network traffic ??? (Score:5, Interesting)
Until they make encryption illegal. I think that's the next step when it doesn't work out for them.
But really, what's new? Never in the history of humanity has there not been one group of people who felt it their god given right to tell another group of people what to say and think.
Don't be lulled into thinking these folks are here to protect you.
Just like the increased powers of search and seizure, designed to protect us from the terrorists, are used mostly to bust people for possession of pot; so the draconian measures enacted to save from the cyber criminals will mostly be used to bust you for downloading your favorite music.
Oh yeah? (Score:1)
jkerhi~uy@yy?>fdsalj9oyhuiyuio%$ewq!
Re: (Score:1)
Encryption Illegal? As if. (Score:1)
Yup, that'll fly. It would be the end of DRM and copy protection. You know FairPlay, Plays4sure (or whatever it's called), CSS, AACS, and all those other copy protection mechanisms that those companies spent so much time and money on? All would be illegal. But I guess there are always casualties when you make laws like that.
In fact, they would be the only casualties. Any kid with knowledge of Basic would be able to create a tool to encrypt files.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If we encrypt everything, it will simply become infeasible to perform long-term dragnet surveillance of innocent people. When someone is suspected of a crime, police will need to investigate that specific person, rather than assume everyone alive is a criminal.
We could start by making HTTPS simpler, supporting TLS Server Name Indication on all web servers (and browsers), and having a free CA authority for encryption without necessarily needing strong authentication.
Rich.
ABOVE LINK NSFW (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The point is that you have to do it, or you get the blame. You can't do it? Everyone knows that. But there's someone to shift the blame to and who has to pay the price.
Just because something is impossible doesn't mean there can't be a law requiring it.
Re: (Score:2)
Part a: No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another.
Its a catch all. If you screw up while flying, you were probably flying an a careless or reckless manner. There are quite a few regulations like that floating about.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
well... (Score:5, Insightful)
Well it depends which shore, as long as there is a country that doesnt sign the treaty the dedicated criminals can avoid this while we suffer it.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
If I was a politician Id say you were soft on crime, and didnt think about the children!
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
the article seems to have it all wrong (Score:2)
Well, here is the list of suckers [coe.int] so far.
A little disappointed to see Canada on there, but at least we didn't x the "signature without reservation as to ratification" box like the US did.
Anyway from my attempt at reading the treaty, it seems like all it *requires* is a country to make it possible for it's "competent authorities" to be able to record data when requested to do so. It doesn't say service providers are required to do more than facilitate this recording. See Article 20 and Article 21 [coe.int]. This
In through the back door (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
If medical records can be used against doctors all the time, why can't logs be used against netizens? Not that I agree or anything, but there is a certain consistency here.
not a conflict (Score:2)
Re:In through the back door (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes this one reason why those people who advocate the idea that treaties can trump the Constitution do not appear to apprehend all of the consequences. This is one point at least that Scalia et al do get right: allowing defacto amendment of the Constitution via the treaty process could significantly impair our Constitutional protections.
Re: (Score:2)
Petitioners present the argument that retroactively extending copyright terms is per-se unconstitutional because it creates a de facto regime of perpetual copyright. The court contradicts this by arguing that the '76 act is proof that
Re: (Score:2)
Unfair (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
To quote "Pulp Fiction": English - DO YOU SPEAK IT motherfucker?
Seriously, an "A" for effort, but I have no idea what you're talking about.
Re: (Score:2)
Another law for cooperations (Score:1, Troll)
Makes me want to.... (Score:5, Funny)
-Em
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Can China join this (Score:5, Interesting)
Internet contrasts with postal system (Score:1, Interesting)
Cybercrime Treaty: What it Means to You and I? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sounds ridiculous, but it all depends on the wording, eh?
--Tomas
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You reported the back-ups lost within 90 days of the blizzard, didn't you citizen? I'm sure you wouldn't want to spend 2 years in jail for forgetting to file the appropriate form...like it says right here in subsection 39 paragraph C part xii...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
If only.. (Score:4, Interesting)
What crimes can this help fight that can't be helped in other ways? As it is, everything leaves a digital trail, if not a physical one.
Let's name some 'horrible' crimes. The only truly horrible crime I can think of on the internet is child pornography. It appears that, in light the large number of recent events, that they already know how to investigate this crime. In the event that didn't have a reasonable track record, there are still methods to combat this. The children are somewhere, find them. They're missing from somewhere, start there. There is money being made, follow that. The pervs get into these groups, so could the cops. The laws are pretty clear about child pornography: Have anything to do with it, and you'll go to jail for a long time.
Let's talk about other crimes. DDOS? Will this law help stop Distributed Denial of Service attacks? Not likely. Most DDOS attacks are done remotely using a net of bots. This law would require terabytes worth of retained data created by these bots, while the people that created the bot-net will have done so in a manner that isn't traceable. This law won't help any.
How about selling contraband over the internet? This law isn't necessary. The contraband is being created somewhere. The item is being shipped somewhere. Money is being transferred. There are standard methods to track all of this. The contraband is a physical item. Find it, you lazy fucks.
In short, requiring network operators to retain a record of every digital transmission is a lot like banning guns. Ban guns, and then only the criminals will have them. Require that ISPs keep records, and then only the criminals will be able to move freely about the internet.
Hey Keystone Kops, want to catch more bad guys? Work together better with your cohorts in other countries. Share that legally acquired data more efficiently. You found this item here. They're looking for this item there. Put two and two together, assholes.
Why should network operators have to pick up the slack for inefficient and incompetent law enforcement?
Aero
Re: (Score:1)
and finally, to the Keystone Kops:
hire more qualified computer analysts. that means candidates with a BS in CS.
that doesn't mean some yokel who took a certification course at the local diploma mill.
that certainly doesn't mean training your officers in computer forensics.
If cops could do computer forensics, they wouldn't be cops!
I've known one cop in my life who wasn't a complete kludge with computers and he was a gamer.
HELP! (Score:5, Interesting)
I am an American, and I love my country. I am, however, getting really sick and tired of constantly watching my country crap all over everyone's rights (or in some cases, preempt people from HAVING rights) both here and abroad all for the sake of a few super-mega-corps; all the while, we're pretty powerless to immediately end any of it.
As I sit back and watch all the industry in this country die as we make the shift to a service-based economy, I watch us become less important in the global marketplace. Sure we have lots of cash (read: power) now, but what happens when we piss it all away? For Pete's sake, the Shanghai market shows instability and Wall Street shits the bed. We're on the verge of recession.
There were times in history in which the US helped prevent other countries from making stupid mistakes. Now we are the ones making lots of stupid mistakes, and we're doing it over and over again.
How does it benefit the EU or anyone else to go along with our silly shenanigans (especially these ridiculous 'e-piracy', think-of-the-children policies)? They didn't with Iraq (for the most part) and escaped unscathed (mostly). Why not tell the current US administration to stop being stupid by not agreeing to participate in its bullshit?
We're really not a bad country or a bad people. Unfortunately, the filth has risen to the top. Certainly we can do our part to help stop all this, but voting takes time. Please help us stop this train speeding off its track by not supporting/recognizing the US' inane global commercialization laws and regulations. In the end, it will be better for all of us.
We are, as a world, beginning to define what a global economy really is. This is our (the world's) chance to make life better place for everyone, and even turn a buck doing it. Please help the US stop being stupid not for the sake of the Bush family or those that give us a bad name, but for the regular folks here who work to feed their families and really do want to spread freedom and wealth around the world.
Americans really aren't bad people. The leadership class just needs a little reminder every once in a while that they are PART of the world, not the fucking owners of it.
This is certainly no call for violence. Just a simple request that other countries not participate in nor support our stupidity.
Re: (Score:2)
Talk of no rights? Ever heard of the patriot act? Guantanomo Bay? Being sent to jail for having a little weed? Being called a terrorist every time you cirisize the goverment?
While the EU is unfortunately going the wrong way (our politicians seem to be brain dead when it comes to privacy laws) I would still much rather live here than
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=225468&cid=18
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Says the Anonymous Coward, parroting back idiotic right-wing blogger/radio propaganda.
Potential for abuse important, not overriding (Score:5, Insightful)
I admin for a moderately sized internet farm, and I can tell you this: If you take the amount of spam you see in your inbox, and multiply each spam by hundreds of thousands, you'll only just begin to get a glimmer of the amount of malicious or covert packets running around your own network, let alone from other networks.
Sadly, the day where internet facing services can go unmonitored and un-logged is past by seven years or more. Criminals are stealing millions of US dollars every day, day in and day out, and some times stealing tens or hundreds of millions. Data theft is rampant, espionage (corporate and government) is rife, trust is broken... It's a mad house out there.
One of the things we've done is to insert known "markers" in our own databases. These markers let us find how and who accessed a database, from where, what time, and what user/password were used to extract that data. In other situations, we've taken care to be able to trace the data flow. Some cases have arisen that made my hair stand on end, it was so bad.
No, the "wild west" days of the internet are at an end, and they must come to a close. Reasonable laws, reasonable requirements should and must be put on networks so that criminals can be brought to the bar for judgment of their crimes. To do any less is to fail civilization. And that's from someone who signs his posts with the below. It's a fine quandry I find myself in...
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
I could use a thousand examples from Phishing to "So, if you want child porn, you shouldn't be logged?" type arguements. However, I'll simply limit myself to pointing out that I've asked for "reasonable" limits and "reasonable" laws. What is reasonable? Well, I for one would start with
child porn is unreasonable and should not be protected
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Part of defineing a solution is defineing the problems to be solved. An some DO disagree
with what I think should be stopped. I think it's important to state that right up front.
One of the things I think should be stopped is unsolicated bulk email, of what ever content.
Another is to force ISPs to act on abuse reports. I've one IP I reported to AT&T over a year ago for sending viruses, put in my IPTABLES, and forgot about until
Re: (Score:1)
child porn is unreasonable and should not be protected.
And it is also illegal under todays laws finantial crimes are unreasonable and should not be protected. I see no need for 419 spammers getting off scott free. And it is also illegal under todays laws
Impure drugs are unreasonable and should not be protected. (EG: almost all drug spams and all penis pill spams.) (see several drug administraion findings that the most popular erectile drug spams have pills that contain rodent fecal matter and no er
Doing something (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I firmly believe this month were we as techs and admins to do what we know we should do.
But we won't, largely because we respect outlawry too much.
Or we wish to continue our employment.
Because there are too many jackass laws.
As many "jackass laws" as their are, there are many more "jackassed" "management" teams overruled by brainless salesforces.
When governments stop persec
Re: (Score:2)
We are now opening a pandora's box with grave consequences.
Re: (Score:2)
"Reasonable" is a wonderful term. It means something to everyone, but not the same thing to more than one person at a time.
If you don't have more than 3 transist agreements nor more than 10 peering agreements, then I have to suggest that you simply haven't been exposed to the small bit of real abuse and rea
yep - there it is (Score:2, Interesting)
This was pretty quick find in terms of the status in Canada:
- we signed
- it isn't ratified by Parliament yet
- the bureaucrats are working on it
It is noted that a number of laws have to be changed in advance of ratification, so
Complementary or further amendments could be made to other existing laws , such as the Competition Act, in order to modernize them in accord with the Convention, notably in the areas of real-time tracing of traffic data (see section on Specific Production Orders below) and interception of e-mail.
There are a couple of beauties in here; the options being examined for the cost of building a required "interception capability" for ISP's include the ISP's paying for it, the ISP's paying for it when "significant upgrades" to their networks occur but not required to pay for
Increased Penalties (Score:2)
Clearly what is needed is the death penalty for all use of file sharing and other computer crimes. That is sure to reduce crime levels to near zero.
In case you missed my sarcasm, my point is th
What if Saudi Arabia joined? (Score:2)
An exaggeration, I'll admit, but just an extreme example of the types of things we could see if this is ratifi