Anonymity vs Privacy
Here is a very interesting post by Schneier on anonymity and privacy, how they are very different. I also would add that this is also a good example on how trusting something you really don't understand how it works is not a very good policy. I don't expect all Internet users to understand fully every piece of technology or software it must use (for instance, on-line shopping), but I guess embassies and governments have the resources to at least ask someone if a technology they are thinking of using is really secure.
Very nice post you pointed out. I fully agree with both you and Schneier!
ReplyDeleteThat feeling of:
1: Hey guys, let's use this because it seems nice!!
2: What does it do then??
1: Uhhhh makes internet traffic secure?
2: Allright!! Just what we all needed!
... is sooo familar!
That supposed scandal where some dark evil hacker sniffed passwords from the supposedly secure Tor network is no scandal, the guy is not (necessarily) an evil hacker and Tor is still as secure as it was. 'Secure' being the keyword here...
This is, of course, all explained in schneier's post, but it was also all over the IT blogs and newspapers... and there the feeling was of: "uhhh, Tor is in fact evil". No! People are just ignorant, in general, and don't read instructions!
Good point!
Cheers, PJ.