I wonder if Chris Soghoian will ask journalists to stop hyping unproven, closed-source, over-hyped security tools like Wickr. :-)
NK On Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 10:48 PM, Nadim Kobeissi <na...@nadim.cc> wrote: > The combination of tall claims, egotistical behaviour and closed-source, > unreviewed software should be enough to make any reasonable security expert > implore everyone to steer clear from Wickr. > > > NK > > > On Sat, Feb 2, 2013 at 10:39 PM, Julian Oliver <jul...@julianoliver.com>wrote: > >> ..on Sun, Feb 03, 2013 at 09:53:23AM +0700, Nathan of Guardian wrote: >> > Wow, a patent-pending closed-source app for Freedom(tm) only available >> on iPhones! >> > >> > All of our problems are solved. ;) >> >> Indeed. >> >> Maybe it'd all be so much cleaner if we simply removed the right to >> Freedom of >> Association, Privacy and Free Speech entirely and made the protection of >> them a >> service, akin to electricity or gas. Perhaps Governments in the West and >> elsewhere actually see the denial of these basic rights as part of a >> market >> stimulus plan - every right removed creates jobs and lures young >> entrepreneurs >> like Nico Sell (got to love the name) into the market. Perhaps privacy is >> becoming a form of tax. >> >> While I joke, it is clear these companies wish to profit on the emergent >> condition that something already and defensably ours (ie our basic human >> rights) >> is an untapped commodity or great potential. Better yet, it comes with >> the added >> bonus of looking like a front-line hero, fighting the Good Fight. >> >> Perhaps the ongoing threat to these rights is something business people >> in the >> privacy sector desire - as a means to extend their marketplace. They are, >> afterall, mining and trading privacy as a material, a mine that will grow >> in >> offering as various countries, democratic and otherwise, continue efforts >> to >> work against these rights. >> >> No for-profit, closed source business can be considered a viable partner >> in the >> protection of privacy. Nonetheless, Mr. Sell will probably make a killing >> exploiting those less aware. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Julian >> >> > >> > Yosem Companys <compa...@stanford.edu> wrote: >> > >> > >Wickr app aims to safeguard online privacy >> > >February 3, 2013, 4:33 am AFP >> > > >> > >SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Wickr co-founder Nico Sell is working toward >> > >"geek utopia," a world where people hold the power when it comes to >> > >who sees what they share on the Internet or from their phones. >> > > >> > >The startup's services -- giving users of Apple gadgets uncrackable >> > >communications that can self-destruct -- were beefed up this week, >> > >just in time for reports of cyber spies trying to snoop on Western >> > >journalists covering China. >> > > >> > >The free software, available at Apple's online App Store, was enhanced >> > >to let people send encrypted file attachments programmed to erase >> > >themselves. The original service, released in June, only worked on the >> > >data within text, picture, video and voice messages. >> > > >> > >"It shows the bigger vision of where we are going," Sell said Friday. >> > > >> > >"We plan on overlaying this protocol on every communication channel >> > >that exists in the online world," continued Sell, a key >> > >behind-the-scenes figure at the famous Def Con hacker gathering that >> > >takes place annually in Las Vegas. >> > > >> > >"It's geek utopia, and we think we can get to it." >> > > >> > >Wickr has a patent pending on technology which Sell said could give >> > >people ways to safeguard anything they send or put online, even >> > >digital bytes in Internet telephone calls or posts to leading social >> > >network Facebook. >> > > >> > >"We expect to have it all covered by the end of the year," Sell said. >> > >"The idea is you would use Wickr to interact with all the other >> > >networks." >> > > >> > >Wickr will evolve to be able to hide pictures posted at Facebook >> > >behind "decoy images," with permission needed to look behind the >> > >masks, according to company co-founder Robert Statica. >> > > >> > >"There will be a decoy image that the public sees, and you clear your >> > >friends or your group to see the real image," explained Statica, a >> > >professor of information technology at the New Jersey Institute of >> > >Technology. >> > > >> > >"We will let people make regular Facebook posts if they don't care >> > >about privacy." >> > > >> > >Unlike many other apps, Wickr is designed not to store any information >> > >mined from people's contact lists. >> > > >> > >"Right now Facebook has all my contact information even though I >> > >boycott Facebook, because a bunch of my friends uploaded it with their >> > >contact lists," Sell said. "This needs to change as an industry." >> > > >> > >The Wickr app has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times in >> > >more than 110 countries since the software crafted for iPhones, iPads, >> > >and iPod touch devices hit the App Store, according to the >> > >co-founders. >> > > >> > >"Private communication is a universal human right," Sell said. >> > >"Freedom: there's an app for that." >> > > >> > >The San Francisco-based startup behind the software is working on >> > >versions of Wickr for smartphones or tablets powered by Google-backed >> > >Android software. >> > > >> > >Wickr's business plan is to have hundreds of millions of people >> > >globally use the free versions of the application while a small >> > >percentage opt to pay for premium features such as being able to >> > >control larger data files. >> > > >> > >"We are trying to flip messaging on its head and give control to the >> > >sender instead of the receiver or the servers in between," Sell said. >> > > >> > >"We can't expect these cloud services to protect our privacy; we need >> > >to do it ourselves." >> > > >> > >More information about the application was available online at >> > >mywickr.com. >> > >-- >> > >Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: >> > >https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech >> >> > -- >> > Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: >> https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech >> >> >> -- >> Julian Oliver >> http://julianoliver.com >> http://criticalengineering.org >> -- >> Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password at: >> https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech >> > >
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