NSA: Snowden does disservice to whistleblowers (Update)

10 hours ago by Glenn Chapman Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden appears by remote-controlled robot at a TED conference in Vancouver on March 18, 2014

The deputy head of the NSA spying agency accused fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden on Thursday of displaying "amazing arrogance" in revealing US eavesdropping techniques.

NSA deputy director Richard Ledgett argued that Snowden, hailed as a hero by many for exposing the vast scope of the National Security Agency's online snooping, had done a disservice to whistleblowers.

Ledgett was addressing the TED ideas conference through a hastily arranged videolink after Snowden, in a rare appearance from his Russian hideaway, had appeared in similar fashion two days earlier.

"We didn't realize that he was going to show up, so kudos to you guys for arranging a nice surprise like that," Ledgett said, kicking off a video chat with TED curator Chris Anderson.

More revelations to come

Snowden appeared from his Russian exile Tuesday in the form of a remotely-controlled robot that rolled around the TED stage and promised more sensational revelations.

"Some of the most important reporting to be done is yet to come," he said, his face appearing on a screen borne by the robot.

Snowden, a former NSA contractor who has been charged in the United States with espionage, sparked a debate in Vancouver over whether he is a traitor or a whistleblower.

Ledgett said he wanted to weigh in at TED with the NSA perspective since Snowden had, he claimed, mixed "kernels of truth" with misleading information.

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NSA: Snowden does disservice to whistleblowers (Update)

Want More Privacy In Your App? Wickr Now Resells Its Encryption And Self-Destructing Technology – Video


Want More Privacy In Your App? Wickr Now Resells Its Encryption And Self-Destructing Technology
Wickr, one of the wave of messaging apps built on the idea of private, encrypted and self-destructing data, has vowed never to make money off its users -- wi...

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Want More Privacy In Your App? Wickr Now Resells Its Encryption And Self-Destructing Technology - Video

Google enhances encryption for Gmail

Upgrade: Google's Gmail is now more secure on both desktop and mobile devies. Photo: Reuters

Google has enhanced the encryption technology for its flagship email service in ways that will make it harder for the US National Security Agency (NSA) to intercept messages moving among the company's worldwide data centres.

Among the most extraordinary disclosures in documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden were reports the NSA had secretly tapped into the main communications links that connect Yahoo and Google data centres around the world.

Google, whose executive chairman Eric Schmidt said in November he was outraged over the practice, didn't mention the NSA in the announcement, except in a veiled reference to last year's "revelations". The change affects more than 425 million users of Google's Gmail service.

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Yahoo has promised similar steps for its email service in the coming months.

"Your email is important to you, and making sure it stays safe and always available is important to us," Nicolas Lidzborski, Gmail's security engineering lead, wrote in a blog post.

Lidzborski said all Gmail messages a consumer sends or receives are now encrypted.

"Today's change means that no one can listen in on your messages as they go back and forth between you and Gmail's servers no matter if you're using public Wi-Fi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet," Lidzborski wrote.

"This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail's servers, but also as they move between Google's data centres something we made a top priority after last [northern] summer's revelations."

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Google enhances encryption for Gmail

Wickr wants to spread its spy-level encryption to your favorite games and apps

Nico Sell doesnt work on games, but shes meeting with creators at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week because they all need what shes selling: Security.

Sell is the cofounder and CEO of the encrypted messaging app Wickr, which launched in 2012 as a way to chat with friends without worrying about where your data was goingor what it was being used for. Wickr is fighting above the wave of other, more popular messaging services like WhatsApp and Snapchat with a distinguishing feature: end-to-end encryption. The app caught on the wake of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowdens surveillance revelations and Snapchats security leaks. Now Sell is offering up the security tools shes honed for Wickr to any other company who wants them.

Wickr is bundling its features, including the spy-level background tech that powers its seamless key exchange, and selling the package to other messaging apps, social networks, and game developersand not just to make money.

We solve really difficult problems here that could be used by almost every other messaging, gaming, and social media app out there, and it would be a shame not to get that technology to everyone, Sell said. This is our way to get to billions of users.

Wickr is targeting some of the biggest apps on the market for its security tools, which are also available la carte, but Sell is well aware of what a tough sell encryption is and has a pretty good guess as to which companies wont be buying Wickrs products.

I dont expect Facebook to be interested in this, because they make their money selling personal information, Sell said. I have a big goal here: To save my kids and everyones kids from being monetized in that way. Microsoft is one I dont plan on selling to. They are completely opposed to my philosophies.

Wickr's tools include a shredder that permanently deletes any images or apps that you've trashed.

Security experts like Sell, an organizer for the hacker convention Defcon, and Snowden himself argue that companies like Facebook and Google are more concerned about intercepting personal data to sell advertising than protecting user information by encrypting it from sender to receiver.

Facebook Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan this week told a gathering of press that Facebook has long been capable of rolling out end-to-end encryption to users, but that the technology can be confusing for the average Internet user and gets in the way of communicating. Facebook does support third-party encryption apps on its platform, though.

Sell agrees that a lot of people who are interested in cryptography primarily make tools for themselves, not for regular folks. Shes trying to change that with Wickr, which combines top-level security with the novelty of Snapchat-like vanishing messages. She tests all features on her 4-year-old daughter to make sure Wickrs features are as simple as they get.

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Wickr wants to spread its spy-level encryption to your favorite games and apps

Gmail: Encryption is now mandatory

Four years after Google turned on HTTPS by default in Gmail, and less than a year since the Edward Snowden document leaks, Google removes your ability to opt out of encryption.

Google has removed your ability to get out of encrypting your Gmail, the company announced Thursday.

This follows a 2010 decision to make HTTPS the default for Gmail communications, but up until today Google had given users the ability to not use encryption. Four years ago, the company explained the opt-out as necessary because encryption could "make your mail slower."

"The team has been working hard to mitigate any performance costs, which now puts us in a position where it no longer makes sense to allow HTTP connections," a Google spokesperson told CNET. "The large majority of users already use HTTPS connections, so this is the final step in the journey."

Google notes that Gmail messages are encrypted internally, as they move about Google's servers and data centers, a measure implemented in the wake of the Edward Snowden leaks.

The company also boasted about Gmail's stability, with service available 99.978 percent of the time.

Senior writer Seth Rosenblatt covers Google and security for CNET News, with occasional forays into tech and pop culture. Formerly a CNET Reviews senior editor for software, he has written about nearly every category of software and app available.

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Gmail: Encryption is now mandatory

Funny ‘Assange endorsing things’ meme pokes fun at BJP’s embarrassment over WikiLeaks’ …

This meme was begging to happen. After the Bharatiya Janata Party's embarrassment over a document that the party promoted as an endorsement by the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, categorically denied by WikiLeaks, standup comedian Utsav Chakraborty's 'Julian Assange endorsing things' meme was just too ripe to pass by.

Wikileaks' categorical denial that it had endorsed Narendra Modi as 'incorruptible' is yet another proverbial egg on the face of the online Modi fans. In November 2006 the then American consul in Mumbai, Michael S Owen, met the Gujarat Chief Minister and, later, other politicians from that state, following which the diplomat dutifully wrote up a report of his conversations with them.

In this report he quoted Rajkot Congress leader Manoharsinh Jadeja to the effect that Modi was indeed very popular in the state and that Muslims too were supporting him to some extent, because he was "viewed as someone who is completely incorruptible", as the Saurashtra politician put it.

This report was sent off to Washington and Assange's team posted it on the WikiLeaks website four years later. While Modi supporters on Twitter went to town claiming WikiLeaks had endorsed Modi, a poster also surfaced, claiming the Americans were afraid of Modi because he was not corrupt. The poster was a meme to poke fun at Twitterati's gullibility. In a hilarious twist, this was also circulated as additional propaganda by BJP members.

Meanwhile, Narendra Modi's official site quoted him as saying he was "glad to learn that America admits Modi is incorruptible". Check out these memes poking fun at the latest political gaffe that has polarized Twitter and Facebook.

Assange endorsing free and fair Lok Sabha elections.

Assange endorsing inalienable part of Indian childhood.

Assange endorsing progress.

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Funny 'Assange endorsing things' meme pokes fun at BJP's embarrassment over WikiLeaks' ...