Hong Kong Protesters Are Fearful Of Leaving A Digital Footprint

A demonstrator outside the Legislative Council building on June 21.Tyrone Siu / Reuters

NBC: Hong Kong protesters are in 'deep fear' about leaving a digital footprint

"Everyone is in deep fear of having their own identity exposed," one demonstrator said.

HONG KONG — College student Naida Lam didn't think much about her digital privacy until June 11.

It was the night before massive protests in Hong Kong against a law that would allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China.

Like many students, Lam, 20, had been using the encrypted messaging app Telegram, participating in group chats that were used to plan and coordinate ahead of the demonstration.

But that night, Hong Kong authorities arrested the administrator of one of the largest of these groups.

For Lam it was a wake-up call.

"When my friends told me that another group's administrator got arrested, immediately I feared that something will happen in the group I was in," Lam said. "I left the group and changed all my privacy settings."

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WNU Editor: If you have a cell phone you are exposed. Encryption or not. 

Thirty-Four U.S. Tech Firms Have Signed A 'Digital Geneva Accord' To Not Aid The U.S. Government In Conducting Cyber-Warfare

New York Times: Tech Firms Sign ‘Digital Geneva Accord’ Not to Aid Governments in Cyberwar

WASHINGTON — More than 30 high-tech companies, led by Microsoft and Facebook, announced a set of principles on Tuesday that included a declaration that they would not help any government — including that of the United States — mount cyberattacks against “innocent civilians and enterprises from anywhere,” reflecting Silicon Valley’s effort to separate itself from government cyberwarfare.

The principles, which have been circulating among senior executives in the tech industry for weeks, also commit the companies to come to the aid of any nation on the receiving end of such attacks, whether the motive for the attack is “criminal or geopolitical.” Although the list of firms agreeing to the accord is lengthy, several companies have declined to sign on at least for now, including Google, Apple and Amazon.

Perhaps as important, none of the signers come from the countries viewed as most responsible for what Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, called in an interview “the devastating attacks of the past year.” Those came chiefly from Russia, North Korea, Iran and, to a lesser degree, China.

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WNU Editor: I am old enough to remember when U.S. companies were eager to assist the U.S. government in fighting the country's enemies. It appears for some .... that is no longer the case.

More News On Thirty-Four U.S. Tech Firms Signing A 'Digital Geneva Accord'

Tech firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, vow not to aid government cyber attacks -- Reuters
Microsoft, Facebook and 32 other tech firms join CyberSecurity Tech Accord -- CNN
Tech groups push ‘Geneva convention’ to help foil cyber attacks -- Financial Times
Facebook, Microsoft, and other tech companies pledge to never help governments launch cyberattacks -- The Verge
Facebook, Microsoft, and 30+ other tech firms are pledging not to build cyberweapons for governments -- Business Insider
Facebook, Microsoft, others vow not to aid state cyberattacks -- CNET

How To Prevent A Digital 9/11

From Pajamas Media:

Washington and software companies must work in tandem to defend America against a devastating cyberattack.

It starts on a cold November night. You went to sleep, comfortably warm, after listening to the late news: a nor’easter coming through, the worst storm in several years. You go to bed, quietly excited at the thought of the fairly certain snow day — build a snowman with the kids, maybe work through the email that has piled up, and do a little online shopping; after all Christmas is coming.

That’s not the way it works out, though — about 3 a.m., you awaken, cold. The house is too cold. You get out of bed — the hardwood floor icy against your feet — and when you flip the hall light switch, nothing happens. Odd, the power is out. Automatically, you look out the window and realize the whole neighborhood is dark; in fact, there is no sky glow — usually, you can see the red shimmer of New York City on a cloudy night. It’s darker than you’ve ever seen it.

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My Comment: Its hard to see such an attack happening .... but if hackers target a minimum of 100 crucial targets in electrical, banking, air transportation, and communication .... the cascade effect can be disastrous.

Will such an action be an act of war ..... of course it is. But because our leaders have not properly defined the threat and the consequences, our reactions can also not be properly defined .... and because they are not defined we will probably do nothing .... or do a lot.

This uncertainty is more terrifying than the action of a digital 9/11 itself.

Online Warfare Research Outlined

From The Washington Times:

Procurement documents released by the U.S. Air Force give a rare glimpse into Pentagon plans for developing an offensive cyber-war capacity that can infiltrate, steal data from and, if necessary, take down enemy information-technology networks.

The Broad Area Announcement, posted Monday by the Air Force Research Laboratory"s Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y., outlines a two-year, $11 million effort to develop capabilities to "access to any remotely located open or closed computer information systems," lurk on them "completely undetected," "stealthily exfiltrate information" from them and ultimately "be able to affect computer information systems through Deceive, Deny, Disrupt, Degrade, Destroy (D5) effects."

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Previous Post: Nato Allies Agree To Cyber Defence Unit

My Comment: If you control the information, you control the world.