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Author: Subject: more frightening privacy stuff
quicksilver
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[*] posted on 11-4-2007 at 05:19


Quote:
Originally posted by JohnWW
What model of Canon color laser printer was that? I will see if I can get one second-hand, to foil government snoopers.


Oh my goodness, that was a long time ago.....I will actually find out if you want and U2U you if you're serious. It DID print some high end stuff for the time.
But remember, today the standard is 1200++dpi back then in was about half that - so what can be duplicated today is pretty intense!
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[*] posted on 11-4-2007 at 21:04


you dont need privacy if you're not doing anything illegal. the government is your gov't and you should work to increase its transparency. if you are doing something illegal, (I use the meth lab example. I have thought about it a lot), there are a few ground rules to follow. when you violate them, expect to be busted. add to those rules the fact you dont have a cell phone or a computer. you got the recipe and commited it to memory a long time ago, didn't you? any self-respecting criminal never talks about his crime. the anthrax killer got away with it, didn't he? it proves he acted alone. ACT ALONE. the internet is not alone (surprised?) the crime lends itself to being carried out alone. elsewhere on this site is a thread about obtaining chemicals. many of the techniques I used can still be done. for instance, the US made a proof of identity required to open a PO Box. I had one already open under a fake name when they did that; they can't take it away. the typical thing to not have shipments followed is a MAIL DROP, and Loompanics had a book, "Mail Drops in the USA". Loompanics is gone, but the concept of mail drops is still there. I say this knowing that much of the discussion on this website is not information we can't get out of the professional literature. It is only the secret dynamite meth recipes that really give this here thing a reason to exist. there's a professor somewhere on this planet who specializes in anything legal. Having said that, the meth situation as we see it today is more a tragedy than it was vis a vis the amateur chemist. It has gone to Mexico in "bigger than superlabs" amounts and is therefore something you should just buy if you want it. None of those drugs should be part of your life, but you shouldn't die over it; you can recover, but, you should do some time over it, because prison is part of the high. many members say to check out a company with a small order first. what do you think they are talking about? It's meth! I automatically sent $100 and never expected to see my money again, rather than to "order innocuous chemicals". One thing that makes sense is that the company is in it with you, and your actions can get them busted, so, when you find one, don't put it on this website, but, if you get ripped off, by all means do so. All the good companies eventually do get busted. All the cooks eventually get busted. Uncle Fester got busted. Why don't you read a book by somebody who never got busted? I think it is because in your mind before you get busted is the idea that you worked for the information and it is power you hold over others. If you are interested in chemistry you will exceed the knowledge of others many times over quickly. Well, not so quickly if you count time since you started, but so many times over in the sense that there is no need to have a thread covering turning cell phones into bugs. The cure for that is obvious. Yeah, so if these people who are withholding the true story of illicit chemistry are doing so out of immoral motives, don't you think that all literature is basically a ripoff? I do. I get tired of trying to interpret what some liar is saying about meth based on what he's saying about acetophenone, and you know he knows! I got busted once when I stored my lab at my house, and again after storing it in a storage locker for years just when I brought it home. That's a bill you have to pay, due to search-and seizure conditions. Actually, with the receipt thrown away, you sleep better. Cops don't know how to follow leads. That made me laugh, you all talking as if the cops would want a recording of them busting you, or a recording of anything. They'd have to give that to your attorney, but they operate in the darkness. They don't really respect your rights. I was always in a State Court, busted by luck by ordinary cops, once on a domestic violence call. There are special meth lab cops, but I don't see how they are going to find you. The lab cops have busted so many labs that they are busting less of them now. They don't have a magic way to find you, tweakers bust themselves, doing such stupid things that they are begging to get busted. The cops drove the business to Mexico I thought. I want to get inside the real corruption that permits the massive scale of illicit drugs to exist in this country, and that must lie within government and legitimate front companies. those are the meaningful arrests. people like me, hey, if I'd done anything wrong would I still be out here to chat on the internet, still seeking after scientific truth?
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[*] posted on 11-4-2007 at 22:37


Quote:
Originally posted by seb
you dont need privacy if you're not doing anything illegal.

I sure like it, though.

Quote:
Loompanics is gone

I didn't realize that.

Quote:
It is only the secret dynamite meth recipes that really give this here thing a reason to exist. there's a professor somewhere on this planet who specializes in anything legal.

No, there is tons of stuff on this board that has nothing to do with meth recipes (namely, almost all of it), and I also don't think that academia has the topics on this board 'covered'. The chemistry related to what we do as hobbyists isn't the focus of academic research, at all. 'Fun' isn't a research goal, after all.

Quote:
Why don't you read a book by somebody who never got busted?

I just picked up Pauling, General Chemistry, because I wanted to read about Cu compounds. I don't think he ever got busted. I have two books by Shulgin as well, and he never really got busted, I don't think.
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quicksilver
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[*] posted on 12-4-2007 at 07:38


@seb:
I am somewhat confused by the direction of your post. I re-read it a few times. However some of the issues you raised I would like to respond to.....

I would expect that anyone trying to get more meth recipes from here would receive the short end of the mod's temper. I have seen it. This board has some issues that may be abused (pyro hobbies, etc) but that is generally accepted as very low on the scale of public threat. Fire dangers exist but most adults act like adults with a pyro hobby. Cooking dope is not a hobby; it's business and can be very, very ugly.
Meth labs are a serious issue for a Hell of a lot of reasons. This board has not shown a support of those seeking information on cooking drugs. I know that some techniques or OTC sources can be used in the context of obtaining chemicals, etc - but then so can any information be mis-used.

I am not sure where you were going with the reference to the "Anthrax Killer" but that person or group were despicable from the same perspective as anyone or group who seeks to silence those who would disagree with them. No one has the right to silence those they disagree with. Anyone who attempts to do so is an enemy of both liberty and freedom. Liberty and freedom are two separate issues however. One is based on a level of personal responsibility and the other more of a matter born of co-operation to an end goal.

The statement "you don't need privacy if you're not doing anything illegal" is something I totally disagree with. Privacy is something that can best be described as a human right. - My reasoning is that if I allow any of my thoughts, thinking or writing to be totally available to the government or person I don't have the right of independent thought. The collective can tell me what I must think or say so as not to receive repercussions (jail, "re-education", etc). This is why "PC (Politically Correct) speak" is IMO a form of censorship.
A transparent government may be a good idea from a personal perspective but in the big picture how can any government act in international affairs if it's agenda was totally transparent? Governments are generally businesses from the collective standpoint of the population it represents and or it's ideology.

The above was NOT meant to refute what you said. I am simply expressing my opinion regarding some of the points raised in context. In fact, some of the issues are so broad that I really don't believe there is a final perspective that they can be expressed in. As we would have to define the area & culture they impact.
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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 16:37
Who Me ? !


You thought identity theft was your biggest worry

Excerpted from PCWorld magazine September 2008

Robert McMillan.jpg - 145kB
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joeflsts
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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 16:44


Quote:
Originally posted by franklyn
You thought identity theft was your biggest worry

Excerpted from PCWorld magazine September 2008


Another great reason to never work for the government.

Joe
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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 17:14


Quote:
Originally posted by joeflsts
Another great reason to never work for the government.
Joe

You don't think private companies would fire workers for porn on a company laptop? Or that any would have IT departments that fail to recognize the laptop is infested with malware? There's too much ignorance in the world for government employers to hold a monopoly on it.

I do wonder how people get their machines infected in the first place though. I don't use any anti-virus/anti-spyware software on my Windows machine and it's never been infected. All I do is keep up with Windows updates and surf with Firefox. And it's not like I've never visited a dodgy MP3 or software-sharing site either.




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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 17:16


Quote:
Originally posted by Polverone
I do wonder how people get their machines infected in the first place though. I don't use any anti-virus/anti-spyware software on my Windows machine and it's never been infected. All I do is keep up with Windows updates and surf with Firefox. And it's not like I've never visited a dodgy MP3 or software-sharing site either.


Same here. Maybe it's the firewall? We have a hardware firewall / router, not much hacking about that!

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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 17:54


Er .. if you don't have any anti-virus software, how can you be so sure you are not infected?
I have anti-virus software running all the time (AVG Free edition), and while I would say attacks are very rare, there have been one or two times when the AV has caught a trojan on a completely innocuous website (one for a graphite manufacturer IIRC).
I deliberately scan all downloads, and I wont let the kids download anything until I've checked it out.




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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 20:51


I ran without virus programs for a couple years, doing the same as Polv; firefox and behind a router. Eventually got nervous and bought Kaspersky(non free unfortunatly) And upon running the first time, nothing. All it ever does is warn me I have security risks, which to them means their software is not updated to the most recent version.

I think use of no virus scanner is fine for the semi computer literate, but not for those who would try to download an image ending with .exe




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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 22:11


After I made that last post I was looking for stuff on linear particle accelerators (LINAC) and one of the hits on google, which looked completely innocent from the URL, re-directed me to some ghastly porn site - and before I could back out Norton pops up and says its detected and stopped an intrusion attempt. Now maybe it would have failed anyway, what with the windows firewall etc, but I rather like the "belt and braces" approach so that I really don't have to worry about my pc being compromised. This is a work pc - so I don't want any crap dumped into it!
Remember - all I did was open a google search result that looked real and relevant, with none of the usual "red flags" that give away the dodgy sites.


Quote:

Fred's World o' Sci, homebuilt linac & cyclotron. Ed Haas' page . ... Fred's World of Sci. homebuilt Cyclotron and Linac 7/13/97. ...
lofstrom-4jeli.blogspot.com/2008/07/amateur-linac.html - 19k - Cached - Similar pages



Would you regard that result as suspicious?

[Edited on 19-8-2008 by Twospoons]




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[*] posted on 18-8-2008 at 22:59


Quote:
Originally posted by PolveroneI do wonder how people get their machines infected in the first place though. I don't use any anti-virus/anti-spyware software on my Windows machine and it's never been infected. All I do is keep up with Windows updates and surf with Firefox. And it's not like I've never visited a dodgy MP3 or software-sharing site either.
I can tell you, I did the same, up to last weekend, already for a few years. WinXP, always downloading the newest updates from Microsoft, I have two firewalls in my house (one for my website which is on a DMZ) and a second which is between the DMZ and my home network. And what happened to me? Last Friday my PC was infested with Vundo/Virtumonde malware :mad:. In an attempt to repair things I completely fucked up the installation of the system and finally I was forced to buy a second hard drive, make a fresh installation on that and mounting my first harddrive from a virtual machine (with Ubuntu, running in a VirtualBox, just to assure that I do not reinfest my host Windows operating system) to save my files and other important goodies.

So, now I also use a virusscanner. I use the free AVG scanner. It seems to work well. I configured it to retrieve updates every day.

This whole adventure cost me almost two complete working days (Friday and Saturday) and EUR 50 for the harddisk and this is the last thing I could use at the moment, having so many other things to do :mad: .


I also learnt something from this: Now I use a VirtualBox when I scan the Internet for serials. The worst thing which can happen then is that the virtual machine is invested. Simply discard this and use the freshly installed image again. A restore from such an event now only takes 15 minutes or so. Only bad thing is that I need two Microsoft licenses for Windows XP, while I only have one PC.

[Edited on 19-8-08 by woelen]




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sparkgap
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[*] posted on 19-8-2008 at 07:47


"with none of the usual "red flags" that give away the dodgy sites."

If you are using Firefox (I'm pretty sure you are, right?), WOT and PhishTank are pretty good for warning you if a site is dodgy.

sparky (~_~)




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[*] posted on 19-8-2008 at 08:56


I can't be sure that my machine is free of infection, but it doesn't have typical malware symptoms (mysterious slowdowns, browser home page hijacked, porn site popups, rise in outgoing network traffic, office files suddenly replaced with encrypted versions and a ransom note...) The machine is behind a hardware router though. That may offer some additional protection.

I just recently got a new desktop machine and I'm running Linux on it as my primary OS, but keeping XP in VirtualBox for some useful Windows-only software. Like Woelen I keep snapshots of the VM state so I can just revert if anything bad happens. Important files are saved to the host OS shared folder so I won't lose anything important on reversion. I will soon be retiring my older non-virtual Windows machine.




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joeflsts
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[*] posted on 19-8-2008 at 14:59


Quote:
Originally posted by Polverone
Quote:
Originally posted by joeflsts
Another great reason to never work for the government.
Joe

You don't think private companies would fire workers for porn on a company laptop? Or that any would have IT departments that fail to recognize the laptop is infested with malware? There's too much ignorance in the world for government employers to hold a monopoly on it.

I do wonder how people get their machines infected in the first place though. I don't use any anti-virus/anti-spyware software on my Windows machine and it's never been infected. All I do is keep up with Windows updates and surf with Firefox. And it's not like I've never visited a dodgy MP3 or software-sharing site either.


Most private companies spend a bit more time making sure they are firing someone for just cause in a case like this. Government agencies tend to act first and then practice due diligence.

Have you ever noticed what happens when you make a one letter mistake on a popular website URL? Sometimes it takes you to a website that is infested with popups. These popups can take you into a mess.

Norton usually takes over on my machine and cleans it up.

Joe
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[*] posted on 19-8-2008 at 18:39


http://housecall.trendmicro.com/uk/

is an online virus scan if you just want to check. Some people would be paranoid to do so but I believe it is quite safe. There is a small chance that a legit website can give you a virus, but if you mess with w4r3z then you need more than a firewall and safe browser.

It mostly depends on where and how you get your software, and who makes it, whether or not internet security (firewall and safe browser) is effective. 99% of virus' are installed by their user, imo.
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[*] posted on 11-8-2009 at 03:35


Leave your phone near FM receiver and if it tries to send something you immediately hear specific noises from your receiver. Normally, if nobody is calling you, mobile phones connect itself to network once per hour or two and noise lasts only secund or two. If noises last much longer (or are more frequen) then you know that something weird is happening.

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franklyn
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[*] posted on 8-1-2010 at 12:06
Technology Marches On


Roll Over Bethoven
The maker of the " Magic Jack " device which facilitates voice over
internet protocal VOIP for a paltry yearly fee , will now provide a
device which will allow your cell phone to work like a wireless
landline at home.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/us_tec_gadget_show_magicjack

This will stymie the NSA from tracking calls as it has done.
Expect a serious challenge and a work around to be introduced
into the system for no other purpose than to tap in. Quote
" the Federal Communications Commission had no immediate
comment on whether they believe the device is legal, but said
they were looking into the issue."

.
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JohnWW
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[*] posted on 8-1-2010 at 18:17


Quote: Originally posted by franklyn  
The maker of the " Magic Jack " device which facilitates voice over internet protocal VOIP for a paltry yearly fee , will now provide a device which will allow your cell phone to work like a wireless landline at home.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/apus_tec_gadget_show_magicjack
This will stymie the NSA from tracking calls as it has done.
Expect a serious challenge and a work around to be introduced
into the system for no other purpose than to tap in. Quote
" the Federal Communications Commission had no immediate
comment on whether they believe the device is legal, but said
they were looking into the issue.".
If the FCC decides that the device is illegal because it prevents the N$A from bugging calls, the mere fact that it is illegal will certainly result in either "knock-offs" of it being made and circulated (clandestinely in the U$A), or in plans being circulated over the internet to enable one to make one's own. Yet another case of "if it is illegal, it must be good for you"!
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[*] posted on 9-1-2010 at 06:42


Quote: Originally posted by JohnWW  
If the FCC decides that the device is illegal because it prevents the N$A from bugging calls [...]
The issue will be that the device has to transmit to the cell phone and that such transmission is unlicensed. In the trade, these things are called "femtocells", and they're a small but growing market for the cell carriers, which means that the device encroaches on a commercial interest.
EDIT: Oops. That should have been "intere$t". My bad.

[Edited on 9-1-2010 by watson.fawkes]
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anotheronebitesthedust
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[*] posted on 10-1-2010 at 15:54


Truecrypt
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franklyn
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[*] posted on 9-3-2010 at 21:35
Nothing Is Sacred


http://citp.princeton.edu/pub/coldboot.pdf

Quote :
" Most security experts assume that a computer’s memory is erased almost
immediately when it loses power, or that whatever data remains is difficult
to retrieve without specialized equipment. We show that these assumptions
are incorrect. Ordinary DRAMs typically lose their contents gradually over a
period of seconds, even at standard operating temperatures and even if the
chips are removed from the motherboard, and data will persist for minutes
or even hours if the chips are kept at low temperatures. Residual data can
be recovered using simple, nondestructive techniques that require only
momentary physical access to the machine."

" In Section 4, we present several attacks that exploit DRAM remanence to
acquire memory images from which keys and other sensitive data can be
extracted. Our attacks come in three variants, of increasing resistance to
countermeasures. The simplest is to reboot the machine and launch a custom
kernel with a small memory footprint that gives the adversary access to the
retained memory.

A more advanced attack briefly cuts power to the machine, then restores
power and boots a custom kernel; this deprives the operating system of any
opportunity to scrub memory before shutting down.

An even stronger attack cuts the power and then transplants the DRAM modules
to a second PC prepared by the attacker, which extracts their state. This attack
additionally deprives the original BIOS and PC hardware of any chance to clear
the memory on boot. We have implemented imaging kernels for use with network
booting or a USB drive."

.
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[*] posted on 9-3-2010 at 23:23


What infuriates me is the strangle hold that Microsoft has on
our whole society. It is impossible to get by without them.
I use linux on my PC my we need to have a PC with windows
so my teenage daughter can do her homework (which these
days requires Word and Powerpoint).

I also think the continued security flaws are just part of the
money making scheme cooked up by MS, Norton the PC makers etc. Look at what happened with my daughters Windows machine: Inspite of the virus protection SW it
became infected and unusable. I'm a profesional SW developer but even I can't figure out how to remove the mess. So I go to "wipe" the machine. Well there is no reinstall CD, they put that on a separate partition which became infected too (big surprise, and how much would that
CD have cost, much less than the wasted extra partition).
So now I need to buy a new version of Windows or else get a whole new machine, even though the old PC had years of life left in it I bought a new one anyway just to avoid the hassle. And who wins in all this Microsh*t and the PC makers.

My Linux pc never gets infected, and goes for months without crashing. Same for my iPhone. Security is not that hard, MS is making money from these security holes, so why should they fix it.

If you have kids, put pressure on the schools to allow simple text submissions for homework and get MS out of our homes
and schools!!!
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[*] posted on 9-3-2010 at 23:35


Please if you really need ms windows than just download an iso.
Really don't bother paying that bunch of scratch, its not your fault that you can't do without.




What a fine day for chemistry this is.
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[*] posted on 9-3-2010 at 23:38


Woelen: I'm not exactly sure why you had to purchase a new hard drive. How did the malware damage your old one? Or was this just an excuse to buy a new HD ;) ? (I need one of those excuses)




[Edited on 3-10-2010 by MagicJigPipe]




"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think, free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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