Affordable Care Act Implementation Woes

I have not written on this up until now and this article is rather old but realize that they are just now getting the front end, that is the easy part stable. I haven't seen in my lifetime a IT debacle this big this expensive.  Here are some quotes from the NY Times I found …

Tin Foil Hat – Part I “Nothing to Hide”

I'm picking up where I left off here. In the introduction I discussed online privacy and technology.  What I didn't mention in that initial post was an insight from Bruce Schneier.  Large corporate institutions and the government (at least in the US) cooperate in order to evade the law.  Public institutions are restricted from collecting some …

Meshnets

This is a useful initiative.  What is to keep the FCC from simply writing a regulation that bans the activity once criminals start using it?  The many must be punished for the few. It would not surprise me:  Across the US, from Maryland to Seattle, work is underway to construct user-owned wireless networks that will …

Using GPU’s for supercomputing

There is a new program language, Harlan that purportedly makes it easier to use graphic processing units to turn hardware into a reasonably priced supercomputer.  GPUs have been used for some time to crack password hashes and run large neural networks. CPUs and GPUs are both important for modern computing, with each being better suited …

Android’s Broken Security

I avoided getting an Android phone due to the sheer volume of malware and spyware (did someone say Viber?).  At least it's available for free.  Looks like it would be possible to backdoor the phone with minimal effort.  How many people will fail to update their firmware? How it works: The vulnerability involves discrepancies in …

Cryptographic Backdoors

In a very interesting post Mathew Green discusses varies ways to have cryptographic functions still serve the function of the overlord by permitting access voluntarily/involuntarily.

NSA Today IRS Tomorrow?

The Gestapo in all its horrible power could not imagine such capability.  They ruled with fear setting neighbor against neighbor but now we can spy on people by looking at their public behaviour and store it forever.  It's not like they will use this power against their enemies. The US government's hunger for money appears …

Tin Foil Hat – Introduction

If you are concerned about internet privacy there is quite a lot you can still to do reduce your profile.  The next post will cover the first level of privacy which is focused on simple minimization.  Subsequent posts will include increasing levels of paranoia.  I am not revealing anything that isn't already well known.  The …

Fabian Pascal

The great Fabian Pascal has brought Database Debunkings back to life.  Fabian has relentlessly hammered the gypsy caravan of idiot enthusiasts who continue to propose failed solutions to problems that were solved long ago.  If you have ever been the target of his ridicule you may not be so thrilled.  He doesn't pull a punch.