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I'm a bit skeptical about Tails and other comsec tools which are a full OS instead of small, separate app. I don't have the time or knowledge to inspect full OS
by keddad 4y ago
I'm a bit skeptical about Tails and other comsec tools which are a full OS instead of small, separate app. I don't have the time or knowledge to inspect full OS image in detail, and it feels like "secure communications, protected from the guys you don't like" is exactly the thing the "guys you don't like", like government, would create, with proper backdoors in place. After all, that had happened numerously before. (Crypto AG, that story about CIA gaining control of some "secure messaging" devices, etc)
- cryptonector 4y agoApps can be observed by the host OS, so if you're looking for an app that is secure relative to the host OS, then you're looking for unobtanium and instead need a host OS you can trust. OTOH, the big lesson of Clipper is that every OS, every app, every platform, can be hacked by nation state adversaries.
- keddad 4y agoNo, I'm looking for an app which will be secure, as in, lack backdoors or obvious security issues. I understand that OS can compromise it, but I more or less trust my normal OS, and it seems weird to use a "secured" OS, because that's where I'd expect all the backdoors to be. Not to mention the fact that if your threat vector is "Apple looking through you photos", you probably don't even need anything special in the first place - popular Linux disto with some Matrix client will be just fine.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoI'm skeptical as well since I don't believe the CIA or NSA even use such tools. Don't they just use RHEL or Windows? Why would they backdoor their own stuff?
- ComradePhil 4y agoBecause they can easily un-backdoor them?