Is Your Encrypted Movie Talk Secure?
More released documents from Edward Snowden demonstrate that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has done the unimaginable – cracked encryption codes that secure most of our data. It’s an astounding feat even for the NSA which was created just for code-breaking and now sets the standard for encryption technology. Encryption is significant because it’s the main instrument used to ensure the security of your web communications whether its Skype movie calls, online banking transactions, or sending electronic health records via health portals.
However, as this NPR chunk explains, it isn’t so much that using encryption can’t protect data, rather that the NSA has found ways to get around data encryption. According to a Q&A with Snowden over the web, the NSA’s capability to actually break encrypted data are limited. Instead, the agency typically uses technics that bypass encryption code-breaking, such as hacking into computer endpoints to gather data either before it has been encrypted or after it has been decrypted. The NSA also works with numerous companies to gather decryption keys or to insert backdoor surveillance technology into applications. Earlier Snowden document news reports identified some of the largest Internet companies — Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, Apple — as all having been part of the NSA PRISM surveillance program, despite their stated privacy policies.
The documents also suggest that the NSA has used its influence to introduce weaknesses into its encryption standards (released in 2006), which are used by software and hardware developers worldwide. These weaknesses can then be used build back doors or to otherwise hack into programs using these standards.
This might be a good time to reconsider your videoconferencing options. Many of our dearest movie conferences such as Vidyo, Google Hangouts, BlueJeans, WebEx use a computer architecture that make them a ideal target for NSA wannabes. These systems all send your media flows through a router or middleman server where your data will be decrypted and stored before being delivered to its final endpoint computer. As a sort of central switchboard through which gajillions of users’ videoconferencing sessions must pass, you can see how such servers would make yummy targets. (Btw, VSee never keeps any decryption keys or users’ movie conversations on its servers. �� ) The Fresh York Times explains “How keys are acquired is shrouded in secrecy, but independent cryptographers say many are very likely collected by hacking into companies’ computer servers, where they are stored.”
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Good Article for protecting private movies over net . Keep more of it coming!
For people who want to protect your movies in your PC or HDD while sharing with someone I use privatelifex player (www.privatelifex.com). Its a free encryption player the best part is that they have on the fly decryption hence no need to decrypt entire movie every time to see; just give the key and commence the playback ;). This did saved many embarrassing moments when I had collective my Laptop or HDD to family and friends
Vsee needs to publish all aspects of their encryption system (RSA Key length, is flawless forward secrecy enabled?, can the system be switched to a constant bit rate codec).
Otherwise, Vsee risks becoming irrelevant – despite it’s excellent spectacle.
Private actors are stealing nation state devices and it’s only a matter of time before the unwary become victims. In 2017, no one can trust companies who can’t (or won’t) publish the details of their security architecture.
NSA Cracked Encryption- Vidyo, Google Hangouts Open To Security Breach?
Is Your Encrypted Movie Talk Secure?
More released documents from Edward Snowden demonstrate that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has done the unimaginable – cracked encryption codes that secure most of our data. It’s an incredible feat even for the NSA which was created just for code-breaking and now sets the standard for encryption technology. Encryption is significant because it’s the main contraption used to ensure the security of your web communications whether its Skype movie calls, online banking transactions, or sending electronic health records via health portals.
However, as this NPR lump explains, it isn’t so much that using encryption can’t protect data, rather that the NSA has found ways to get around data encryption. According to a Q&A with Snowden over the web, the NSA’s capability to actually break encrypted data are limited. Instead, the agency typically uses technics that bypass encryption code-breaking, such as hacking into computer endpoints to gather data either before it has been encrypted or after it has been decrypted. The NSA also works with numerous companies to gather decryption keys or to insert backdoor surveillance technology into applications. Earlier Snowden document news reports identified some of the largest Internet companies — Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Yahoo!, Apple — as all having been part of the NSA PRISM surveillance program, despite their stated privacy policies.
The documents also suggest that the NSA has used its influence to introduce weaknesses into its encryption standards (released in 2006), which are used by software and hardware developers worldwide. These weaknesses can then be used build back doors or to otherwise hack into programs using these standards.
This might be a good time to reconsider your videoconferencing options. Many of our beloved movie conferences such as Vidyo, Google Hangouts, BlueJeans, WebEx use a computer architecture that make them a ideal target for NSA wannabes. These systems all send your media flows through a router or middleman server where your data will be decrypted and stored before being delivered to its final endpoint computer. As a sort of central switchboard through which gajillions of users’ videoconferencing sessions must pass, you can see how such servers would make delicious targets. (Btw, VSee never keeps any decryption keys or users’ movie conversations on its servers. �� ) The Fresh York Times explains “How keys are acquired is shrouded in secrecy, but independent cryptographers say many are very likely collected by hacking into companies’ computer servers, where they are stored.”
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Share this:
Comments ( three )
Good Article for protecting private movies over net . Keep more of it coming!
For people who want to protect your movies in your PC or HDD while sharing with someone I use privatelifex player (www.privatelifex.com). Its a free encryption player the best part is that they have on the fly decryption hence no need to decrypt entire movie every time to witness; just give the key and commence the playback ;). This did saved many embarrassing moments when I had collective my Laptop or HDD to family and friends
Vsee needs to publish all aspects of their encryption system (RSA Key length, is ideal forward secrecy enabled?, can the system be switched to a constant bit rate codec).
Otherwise, Vsee risks becoming irrelevant – despite it’s excellent spectacle.
Private actors are stealing nation state devices and it’s only a matter of time before the unwary become victims. In 2017, no one can trust companies who can’t (or won’t) publish the details of their security architecture.