3 ms·
> For instance, you do not need to wait until after installation to enable FileVault because "there is more entropy available to the system". Looks like the au
by PublicRide 8y ago
> For instance, you do not need to wait until after installation to enable FileVault because "there is more entropy available to the system".
Looks like the author of the original Filevault paper thinks otherwise: https://github.com/drduh/macOS-Security-and-Privacy-Guide/issues/230 https://github.com/drduh/macOS-Security-and-Privacy-Guide/is...
> Nor can you test the security of a CSPRNG by running "ent" on it!
Curious how then to test the PRNG output?
> In the same vein: don't run out and sign up for a commercial OpenVPN hosting service, and for Christ's sake don't install AV software on your Mac.
Ironically, the guide specifically says these exact two things ;)
> followed by advice to use Transmission to torrent videos to watch in VLC.
Transmission and VLC are better alternatives to most of the ad- and malware-ridden crapware out there, usually dominating search results. Of course, torrenting is bad for security and privacy - why don't you send a pull request with a strongly worded statement for effect?
- tptacek 8y agoThat link does not say what you appear to think it says. Ent will show a perfect distribution of bits on a counter ticking 1, 2, 3, ... through MD5; that construction will to all appearances be a deterministic random bit generator, but it obviously is not. If you're at the point where you're wondering why you can't use "ent" to test if a CSPRNG is seeded, you're probably too far out from understanding the issues to resolve this in the middle of a thread.
- PublicRide 8y agoWhy not offer a constructive suggestion for testing the PRNG quality on macOS? It seems like you know a lot on the topic, perhaps you could even send a few PRs to the guide ...
- tptacek 8y agoI'm not interested in contributing to your guide, sorry.
- PublicRide 8y agoIt isn't my guide, I'm only pointing out your comments could be put to helpful use instead of being bitter condescension only.
- tptacek 8y agoI am even less clear why we're discussing this, then. You understand now why you can't use "ent" to evaluate a modern CSPRNG, right? That's all I want to accomplish.