“The very first thing we do, let’s hack all of the attorneys”

On this episode, Dave Aitel introduces us to a deliciously stunning story about attorneys as victims — and possibly co-conspirators — within the hacking of legislation companies to win authorized disputes.  The trick, it seems, is determining the way to profit from hacked paperwork with out truly dirtying one’s fingers with the hacking. And right here too, a Shakespearean Henry (II this time) has the reply: rent a non-public investigator and ask “Will nobody rid me of this meddlesome litigant?” Earlier than you recognize it, there is a doxing website filled with helpful proof on the web.

However first Dave digs into an intriguing however flawed story of how and why the White Home ended up bigfooting a potential acquisition of NSO by L3Harris. Dave spots what appears to be like like a easy reality error, and we’re each satisfied that the New York Occasions received solely half the story. I believe the White Home was shocked by the leak, popped off about how dangerous an concept the deal was, after which was shocked to find that its intelligence group had signaled assist.

That leads us to the rationale why NSO has persevering with worth – its skill to interrupt Apple’s cellphone safety. Apple is now making an attempt a brand new strategy to reinforce safety: its new, safer and fewer handy lockdown mode. Dave offers it excessive marks, and he challenges Google to match Apple’s transfer.

Subsequent, we dive into the US effort to maintain Dutch agency ASML from promoting chip-making machines to China. Dmitri Alperovich makes a particular look to induce more practical use of export controls; he cautions, nonetheless, that the US should impose the identical burdens by itself companies as on its allies’.

Jane Bambauer introduces the most recent authorities proposal to take a chunk out of crime by taking a chunk out of end-to-end (e2e) encryption. The U.Okay. has launched an modification to its pending on-line security invoice that may require regulated user-to-user providers to establish and swiftly take down terrorism and youngster intercourse abuse materials. Figuring out such materials is not straightforward in an e2e surroundings, Jane notes, so this invoice might pressure adoption of the now-abandoned Apple proposal to do native scanning in your cellphone. I am often an affordable date for crypto-skeptical legal guidelines, however I can not assist noticing that this proposal will fire up 90% as a lot opposition as requiring firms to intercept communications after they get a court docket order whereas  addressing solely 10% of the crimes that happen on e2e networks.

Jane and I take turns pouring chilly water on journalists, NGOs, and even Congress for his or her feverish effort to flip the Supreme Court docket’s abortion ruling right into a privateness subject. Dumbest of all, in my opinion, is the declare that location providers can be used to collect proof and prosecute ladies who go to out of state abortion clinics. As I level out, such prosecutions could not even muster 5 votes on this Court docket.

Dave spots one other uncertain story about Russian authorities misuse of a pink group hacking instrument. He thinks it is truly a case of a pink group hacking instrument being utilized by … a pink group.

Jane notes that Division of Homeland Safety’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA) has introduced a surprisingly anodyne (and arguably pointless) post-quantum cryptography initiative.  I am rather less laborious on DHS, however solely a bit.

Lastly, in updates and fast hits:

• I level out that the U.S. – EU transatlantic information deal is trying rather a lot like vaporware. That is a fear now that Eire is on the verge of ordering Fb to cease shifting information throughout the Atlantic.
• Jane and I take a whack at predicting Elon Musk’s Twitter bid. I argue that Musk could escape with lower than $1 billion in penalties however for years he can be to mergers what Google is to new digital merchandise.
• And, lastly, some modest excellent news on Silicon Valley’s marketing campaign to suppress politically incorrect speech.  Final yr, Twitter suspended former NYT reporter Alex Berenson for saying a number of true however inconvenient issues concerning the covid vaccine (it does not cease an infection or transmission, and it has unwanted effects, all of which elevate actual doubts concerning the knowledge of mandating vaccinations for everybody). Berenson sued, and Twitter has now settled, unsuspending his account. The lawsuit had narrowed down the purpose the place Twitter in all probability felt it might settle with out making a precedent, however any chink in Huge Social’s self-righteous armor is value celebrating.

Obtain the 416th Episode (mp3)

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