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While I certainly understand the idea that reporters should avoid disclosing sources and methods there are two things that warrant further consideration. First
by jahmed 13y ago
While I certainly understand the idea that reporters should avoid disclosing sources and methods there are two things that warrant further consideration. First Bruce Schneier as a security researcher has knowledge of a vulnerability. A vulnerability is a vulnerability and this is one we know at least one actor is exploiting. He has a responsibility to report this. This takes me to what I think is the most interesting part of this whole Snowden situation. We now know with certainty that everything can be subverted. All those theoretical and academic ideas are being actively exploited by at least one actor. If we assume NSA as the high watermark its only a matter of time before less resourced nations and well resourced or placed companies start doing the same. Now that we know roughly the price to surveil the world I don't know how we ever put that back in the box.
- tptacek 13y agoWhat "vulnerability" are you referring to? That if you can control the boot ROM of a router, you can backdoor it?
- 1457389 13y agoFrom your tone it sounds like you think such a vulnerability is so obvious that it shouldn't even be mentioned as such. Regardless of how defenseless any device is to an attacker with physical access, the point of Schneier's article was to >discuss how the exploit works, how we might detect it, how it has probably been improved since the catalog entry in 2008, and so on Do you have a specific issue with this approach to the leak? After all, if such exploits are so obvious and predictable from an attacker like the NSA, it is probably prudent to consider how to defend against them no?