5 ms·

Strongbox – A method for you to share tips, information, and files

54 points by simas 12y ago

privong 12y ago
The title (currently "The New Yorker protects your anonymity using Tor") is fairly misleading. The New Yorker is not protecting their reader's anonymity with tor (or at least the page does not provide any claims to that effect). The linked page describes their use of SecureDrop[0], which is only accessable via tor, for folks submitting tips, leaks, and another sensitive information. [0] https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/securedrop https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/securedrop
- sctb 12y ago
  Thanks, we updated the title.
- azinman2 12y ago
  They also say "Strongbox does not provide perfect security," which they should probably take out of the footnote and place higher up.
higherpurpose 12y ago
What's the difference between StrongBox and SecureDrop? Does StrongBox use the latest version of SecureDrop? Is it a custom version? Or just a different brand name?
- bjacobel 12y ago
  StrongBox is the New Yorker's implementation of the SecureDrop software. Strongbox was developed by Aaron Swartz, Kevin Poulsen and the New Yorker and then later open-sourced as SecureDrop. Here's an article from the launch in 2013. (I'm not sure why this is just making it on to HN now.) http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/introducing-strongbox http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/introducing-stron...
rakoo 12y ago
SecureDrop is now kind of famous for being a secure way to exchange information between sources and journalists; we can all applaud its efforts for lowering the bar of high-risk investigation journalism. Does anyone know whethe SecureDrop has ever been successfully used by journalists, and if there are any feedback about it ?
- zaroth 12y ago
  You mean, other than the recently discovered backdoor? http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2015/Apr/8 http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2015/Apr/8
  - SloopJon 12y ago
    That reads like an April Fool's joke, but I followed the link to Github, and this has been acknowledged (and fixed) as a "security-high vulnerability": https://github.com/freedomofpress/securedrop/pull/974 https://github.com/freedomofpress/securedrop/pull/974
philp 12y ago
http://strngbxhwyuu37a3.onion/ http://strngbxhwyuu37a3.onion/ seems to be offline (only checked with Tor Browser)
- rememberlenny 12y ago
  We heard about a recent but with the installation, so we took it offline. It will be coming up again soon.
borgia 12y ago
Fair play to them for providing the service and here's hoping it leads to further exposure of corruption and wrongdoing. The next step, however, is getting people to actually act on the information that comes out which is appearing to be an absolute goliath of a challenge.
kiyoto 12y ago
I thought this was the project that aaronsw started awhile back? Is it coming back to life?
rememberlenny 12y ago
I work at the New Yorker. If you have any questions, please reach out! Leonard_bogdonoff@newyorker.com
- motoboi 12y ago
  How is this going? Are people really sending you good material through this system?
  - nacs 12y ago
    Considering the nature of the system, I doubt they're going to state if/when/how many they are receiving.
  - rememberlenny 12y ago
    We do get a lot of submissions. Only a small number of them are applicable.
- dicroce 12y ago
  This is a really good idea. Bravo.
discardorama 12y ago
It looks like Kevin Poulsen is involved? Given that he helped Adrian Lamo turn Chelsea (Bradley) Manning over to the feds for passing info to WikiLeaks, I'm not so sure how his involvement in StrongBox... http://www.salon.com/2010/12/27/wired_5/ http://www.salon.com/2010/12/27/wired_5/
loevborg 12y ago
From the page linked: "Please note: general fiction, poetry, art, and PR submissions sent via Strongbox will not be assessed."

54 points by simas 12y ago

The title (currently "The New Yorker protects your anonymity using Tor") is fairly misleading. The New Yorker is not protecting their reader's anonymity with tor (or at least the page does not provide any claims to that effect). The linked page describes their use of SecureDrop[0], which is only accessable via tor, for folks submitting tips, leaks, and another sensitive information. [0] https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/securedrop https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/securedrop

sctb 12y ago
Thanks, we updated the title.
azinman2 12y ago
They also say "Strongbox does not provide perfect security," which they should probably take out of the footnote and place higher up.

higherpurpose 12y ago

What's the difference between StrongBox and SecureDrop? Does StrongBox use the latest version of SecureDrop? Is it a custom version? Or just a different brand name?

bjacobel 12y ago
StrongBox is the New Yorker's implementation of the SecureDrop software. Strongbox was developed by Aaron Swartz, Kevin Poulsen and the New Yorker and then later open-sourced as SecureDrop. Here's an article from the launch in 2013. (I'm not sure why this is just making it on to HN now.) http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/introducing-strongbox http://www.newyorker.com/news/amy-davidson/introducing-stron...

rakoo 12y ago

SecureDrop is now kind of famous for being a secure way to exchange information between sources and journalists; we can all applaud its efforts for lowering the bar of high-risk investigation journalism. Does anyone know whethe SecureDrop has ever been successfully used by journalists, and if there are any feedback about it ?

zaroth 12y ago
You mean, other than the recently discovered backdoor? http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2015/Apr/8 http://seclists.org/bugtraq/2015/Apr/8
- SloopJon 12y ago
  That reads like an April Fool's joke, but I followed the link to Github, and this has been acknowledged (and fixed) as a "security-high vulnerability": https://github.com/freedomofpress/securedrop/pull/974 https://github.com/freedomofpress/securedrop/pull/974

philp 12y ago

http://strngbxhwyuu37a3.onion/ http://strngbxhwyuu37a3.onion/ seems to be offline (only checked with Tor Browser)

rememberlenny 12y ago
We heard about a recent but with the installation, so we took it offline. It will be coming up again soon.

borgia 12y ago

Fair play to them for providing the service and here's hoping it leads to further exposure of corruption and wrongdoing. The next step, however, is getting people to actually act on the information that comes out which is appearing to be an absolute goliath of a challenge.

kiyoto 12y ago

I thought this was the project that aaronsw started awhile back? Is it coming back to life?

rememberlenny 12y ago

I work at the New Yorker. If you have any questions, please reach out! Leonard_bogdonoff@newyorker.com

motoboi 12y ago
How is this going? Are people really sending you good material through this system?
- nacs 12y ago
  Considering the nature of the system, I doubt they're going to state if/when/how many they are receiving.
- rememberlenny 12y ago
  We do get a lot of submissions. Only a small number of them are applicable.
dicroce 12y ago
This is a really good idea. Bravo.

discardorama 12y ago

It looks like Kevin Poulsen is involved? Given that he helped Adrian Lamo turn Chelsea (Bradley) Manning over to the feds for passing info to WikiLeaks, I'm not so sure how his involvement in StrongBox... http://www.salon.com/2010/12/27/wired_5/ http://www.salon.com/2010/12/27/wired_5/

loevborg 12y ago

From the page linked: "Please note: general fiction, poetry, art, and PR submissions sent via Strongbox will not be assessed."