BY ELAINE GOODMANDaily Post Correspondent

In the months before the California Department of Justice issued a bulletin that prompted many police departments in the state to encrypt their radio transmissions, there was a flurry of correspondence at DOJ about encryption, the department said.

From June 1 to Oct. 13 of last year, DOJ had more than 20,000 pieces of correspondence that were potentially related to encryption, the department said in a letter to the Post. That works out to at least 135 pieces of correspondence a day possibly related to encryption, or more than 200 a day if weekends and holidays are excluded.

The information from the DOJ came in response to a public records request from the Post, which asked for all written communications from June to mid-October last year regarding police radio encryption by law enforcement agencies in California. The DOJ views encryption as a way to protect subjects personal information, such as drivers license numbers, as well as their criminal histories, when officers use the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, or CLETS.

On Oct. 12, 2020, DOJ issued a bulletin instructing law enforcement agencies to encrypt their radio transmissions or take other steps to protect the so-called personally identifiable information, also known as PII. The bulletin was issued by Joe Dominic, chief of the California Justice Information Services Division at the DOJ.

But encryption also blocks the public and the media from listening to officers activities through police scanners.

Police radios go silent

Police departments in cities including Palo Alto, Mountain View and Los Altos have moved to full encryption of radio transmissions. As the Post reported previously, the San Francisco Police Department is leaving some transmissions unencrypted, so the public can hear some details of police activities. The Berkeley Police Department is considering a similar system.

In response to the Posts requests for correspondence related to encryption between June 1 and Oct. 13 last year, Danielle Hofmeister, staff services manager in the California Justice Information Services Division at DOJ, said the department couldnt fulfill the request because of the number of records involved.

But DOJ produced a few documents in response to another request from the Post: written correspondence received by Dominic or CLETS that Dominic considered when writing his Oct. 12 memo.

In an Oct. 13 email to Leslie McGill, executive director of the California Police Chiefs Association, Dominic said DOJ surveyed law enforcement agencies earlier in 2020 about their radio use and encryption.

We have been working with those agencies that were found not to be in compliance, Dominic wrote.

CHPs policy

In an email correspondence that started in December 2019, Scott Howland, who at the time was chief information officer at the California Highway Patrol, said CHP used analog radios that could not be encrypted for most of its communications. The CHPs policy at that time included sending criminal history information by fax or computer, and not broadcasting it over the radio, according to Howland.

In October 2020, Chris Childs, who became CHPs chief information officer after Howland retired, told Dominic in an email that CHP had changed its policy. Details werent immediately available.

Gene Ashton, senior radio communications technician for the city and county of San Francisco, emailed Dominic in August 2020 after hearing that the San Francisco police chief might not want to move forward with encryption.

It is my department that performs the programming for everyone, Ashton wrote. Am I running afoul of FBI/Ca DOJ by abiding by the chief and not encrypting their channels?

In his response, Dominic said he had been discussing the topic with a few agencies.

I am aware that some agencies that do not have the capability to encrypt radio communications are putting in stop gaps/mitigation to eliminate transmitting any PII over radio unless it is an emergency/officer safety need, Dominic said.

Colorados solution

The issue of police radio encryption is playing out across the country. In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis this month signed into a law House Bill 21-1250, a police accountability bill that includes provisions regarding radio encryption.

Under the new law, a law enforcement agency that encrypts all of its radio communications must create a policy in which Colorado-based media outlets can access primary dispatch channels through commercially available radio receivers, scanners or other technology.

The policies may include a way to verify media credentials, reasonable restrictions on use of the equipment and a way to address cost.

Previous stories about the encryption of police radios

June 16, 2017, Palo Alto to spend $4 million on new radio system; Redwood Citys experience was a fiasco

Jan. 6, 2021, Police cut off their radio transmissions to the public

Jan. 8, 2021, Editorial, Police decision to encrypt police radio transmissions reduces transparency

Jan. 11, 2021, Mayor says that encrypting police radio signals was a mistake

Jan. 11, 2021, Palo Alto Council will discuss police radio encryption, Mountain View will follow Palo Altos lead

Feb. 14, 2021, Opinion, Encryption isnt a mandate, its a choice

March 29, 2021, Police chief willing to consider alternatives to full encryption but lacks examples

April 1, 2021, One city is reluctant to switch to encrypted police radio

April 5, 2021, Palo Alto Police ask state if they can temporarily drop encryption

May 24, 2021, San Francisco finds an alternative to full encryption of police radios

May 27, 2021, Opinion, 55 days later and state DOJ hasnt complied with records request for information on police radio encryption

May 27, 2021, No reports of scanners aiding crime

July 2, 2021,Is full encryption of police radios necessary? Berkeley may allow public to hear one of their channels

July 10, 2020, Berkeley to take a different approach than Palo Alto public involvement

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Police departments across the state flooded DOJ with correspondence about police radio encryption - The Daily Post

TLDR: With Encrypt Office, you can throw a security shield over all business operations, including emails, data transfers, file storage and more.

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Encrypt Office is a one-stop hub to protect a modern digital business and their critical data - The Next Web

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--XSOC CORP today announces that its symmetric key exchange product, SOCKET, has received UL 2900-1 Certification.

The rapid and secure exchange of symmetric encryption keys is the most critical component of the decryption process when utilizing symmetric encryption to secure data. SOCKET can meet both the scalability demands of todays newest IoT, IIoT, IoBT devices, as well as speed and security demands required for use in OT/ICS environments that manage Critical Infrastructure.

Existing methods such as Kerberos, digital certificates managed using the Public Key Infrastructure process, and the complex infrastructure need for Quantum Key Distribution, dont even come close to SOCKETs flexibility and usability.

Attaining UL 2900-1 certification opens a plethora of new SOCKET integration opportunities and demonstrates to our software developer and hardware manufacturer partners that SOCKET is ready for immediate integration and deployment.

The UL 2900 Standard

UL 2900-1, the UL Standard for Software Cybersecurity for Network-Connectable Products, was published and adopted as an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard in July 2017. Certification and compliance with the ANSI/UL 2900-1 standard ensure that SOCKETs risks, software vulnerabilities and weaknesses, and security controls have all been evaluated and have passed ULs lengthy and thorough certification process.

SOCKET for Industrial, Commercial and Modern Devices

SOCKET can be used as a standalone (out-of-band) method of symmetric key transfer for legacy devices in an industrial (IT/OT) or commercial wireless security environment. Modern streaming video cameras in a warehouse or embassy can also include SOCKET. SOCKET is an ideal companion to the XSOC Cryptosystem which provides a secure solution for symmetric key exchange, enabling security in environments where TLS (SSL Certificates) are undesirable or infeasible. For the technically inclined, SOCKET may be thought of as an N-Tier version of Kerberos / X.509 technology, a 20-years advanced version of symmetric key transfer that does not have a single point of failure. Additionally, SOCKET allows API clients to designate any of the available NIST B-Suite algorithms for direct use in the underlying cryptokey transmission protocol.

Alternatively, SOCKET can be utilized in near-field / radio frequency (RF) and wireless transmissions that support hardened encryption security closed-circuit, limited-distance or intermittent ad-hoc network environments. Examples include securing drone-to-drone communications, tactical encrypted walkie-talkies, and other similar (battlefield) type environments that require rapid setup and tear-down.

We are extremely proud that SOCKET has received UL 2900-1 certification, said Richard Blech, XSOC CORP Founder & CEO. Our engineering and scientific teams have designed an extremely scalable and robust mechanism that can be used by a wide spectrum of devices to securely exchange and decrypt information where other processes just arent viable.

For more information on UL 2900 certification:https://ul-certification.com/news/new-standards-raise-the-bar-on-cybersecurity

For more information on XSOC CORP:https://www.xsoccorp.com/

About XSOC CORP

Founded in 2018, XSOC CORP is based in Irvine, CA, with a senior management and technology engineering team that has developed four ground-breaking products in the areas of advanced, optimizable, symmetric cryptosystem encryption, both local and global symmetric key exchange mechanisms, and an optimized, high-performance, secure transmission protocol.

These four products; XSOC, SOCKET, WAN-SOCKET, and EBP are ideal for OEMs, systems integrators, military/law enforcement/government markets, IoT, IIoT, ICS/ Critical infrastructure environments, or in any environment where the security, integrity or availability of data are critical. The company goes to market via OEM partnerships, ISVs, Systems Integrators, Cybersecurity Resellers, via modular license agreements.

To become a sales partner, email info@xsoccorp.com and use sales partner in the subject field.

For more information on XSOC CORP, email info@xsoccorp.com, on the web at https://www.xsoccorp.com or via Twitter @XSOC_CORP

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XSOC CORP's SOCKET Receives UL- 2900 Certification for Securing Encrypted Workflows of Today's Enterprise and Industrial Connected Devices - Business...

Amazon is currently offering the Ring Video Doorbell Pro in certified refurbished condition for $99.99 shipped. Having originally retailed for $249, youll more recently pay $170 for a new condition model with todays offer amounting to 42% in savings and the second-best price to date that comes within $5 of the all-time low. Ring Doorbell Pro features 1080p video recording alongside 30-days of free cloud storage, dual-band Wi-Fi support, and enhanced motion detection to ensure you know when a package gets dropped off. Ring also just recently rolled out end-to-end encryption for some extra peace of mind.Includes the same 1-year warranty youd find on a new condition model. Over 35,700 Amazon shoppers have left a4.5/5 star rating.

Amore affordable way to get in the Ring ecosystem and fend off porch pirates is with thebrands latest wired Video Doorbell at$60. This more affordable offering delivers 1080p feeds and the usual Alexa integration, as well as motion alerts and integration with the larger Ring ecosystem. Dive intoour launch coveragefor a closer look at all of the details.

Another way to upgrade your smart home would be checking out the discount we spotted to kick off the week onthe Nest Hello Video Doorbell. Youre looking at much of the same form-factor above, but with a Google focus rather than Alexa. Bringing peace of mind to your front door, the surveillance upgrade packs motion alerts, Assistant integration, and 1080p recording at thesecond-best price of the year at$160.

When you attach the Ring Video Doorbell Pro from Ring to your existing hardwired doorbell, you are able to monitor your front door area using your mobile device. The Ring Doorbell Pro features 1920 x 1080 resolution for high-quality images, and it has built-in IR LEDs for use at night or in low-light conditions. The camera has a 160 field of view for a wide coverage area, and integrated 2-way audio allows you to listen and respond to those you are monitoring.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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Ring Video Doorbell Pro packs end-to-end encryption at $100 (Refurb, Orig. $249) - 9to5Toys

When crypto investors discuss quantum computing, they invariably worry about its potential to undermine encryption. Quantum computers alone do not pose such a mortal threat, however. Its their capacity to exploit Shors algorithm that makes them formidable.

Thats because Shors algorithm can factor large prime numbers, the security behind asymmetric encryption.

Another quantum algorithm can potentially undermine the blockchain as well. Grovers algorithm helps facilitate quantum search capabilities, enabling users to quickly find values among billions of unstructured data points at once.

Unlike Shors algorithm, Grovers algorithm is more of a threat to cryptographic hashing than encryption. When cryptographic hashes are compromised, both blockchain integrity and block mining suffer.

Collision Attacks

One-way hash functions help to make a blockchain cryptographically secure. Classical computers cannot easily reverse-engineer them. They would have to find the correct arbitrary input that maps to a specific hash value.

Using Grovers algorithm, a quantum attacker could hypothetically find two inputs that produce the same hash value. This phenomenon is known as a hash collision.

By solving this search, a blockchain attacker could serendipitously replace a valid block with a falsified one. Thats because, in a Proof-of-Work system, the current blocks hash can verify the authenticity of all past blocks.

This kind of attack remains a distant threat, however. Indeed, achieving a cryptographic collision is far more challenging than breaking asymmetric encryption.

Mining Threats

A somewhat easier attack to pull off using Grovers algorithm involves proof-of-work mining.

Using Grovers search algorithm, a quantum miner can mine at a much faster rate than a traditional miner. This miner could generate as much Proof-of-Work as the rest of the network combined. Consequently, the attacker could effectively take over the blockchain and force consensus on any block they selected.

Story continues

A quantum miner might also use Grovers search algorithm to help facilitate the guessing of a nonce. The nonce is the number that blockchain miners are solving for, in order to receive cryptocurrency. Thats because Grovers algorithm provides a quadratic speedup over a classical computer (for now, ASIC-based mining remains considerably faster).

How fast is a quadratic speedup? Roughly stated, if a classical computer can solve a complex problem in the time of T, Grovers algorithm will be able to solve the problem in the square root of T (T).

Thus, any miner who can solve the nonce faster than other miners will be able to mine the blockchain faster as well.

Grovers algorithm could also be used to speed up the generation of nonces. This capability would allow an attacker to quickly reconstruct the chain from a previously modified block (and faster than the true chain), .In the end, a savvy attacker could substitute this reconstructed chain for the true chain.

Grovers algorithm may ultimately help make Proof-of-Work obsolete. Thats because there is no possible PoW system that is not susceptible to Grover speed-up. In the end, quantum actors will always have an advantage over classical ones in PoW-based blockchains. (allowing them) to either mine more effectively or (instigate) an attack (source).

Proof-of-Work Weaknesses

As bitcoin matures, the weaknesses inherent within PoW become ever-more evident. Miners are pitted against each other as if in a never-ending arms race This arms race is incentivized by the ability of larger mining pools to achieve economies of scale, a cost advantage that quickly erodes the capacity of individual miners to survive.

Of course, Proof-of-Stake is not without flaws. For instance, critics assert that it favors larger stakeholders (hence the claim that it enables the rich to get richer). These critics neglect to note that PoW is amenable to the same strategy (albeit with miners).

As this arms race comes to a head, any miner with the resources to do so will use quantum computing to achieve a competitive advantage. Combined with Grovers algorithm, a quantum-based miner would outperform other miners (most likely, small-and medium-sized miners). .

With access to quadratic speedup, any PoW coin will inevitably fall under the control of mega-cap institutions and governments. If so, regular investors and mid to large-cap enterprises risk getting priced out of the market. In particular, their devices will be either too expensive or prone to excessive regulation (much the same way that PGP encryption once was).

Summary

Shors algorithm undoubtedly poses the most immediate threat to bitcoin (namely, the potential to break ECDSA, its digital signature algorithm). Grovers algorithm is a distant second in this respect.

Grovers algorithm may someday pose a formidable challenge to PoW mining, however. And it could conceivably threaten cryptographic hashing as well. Any algorithm powerful enough to reverse engineer hash values would invariably undermine PoW itself.

Quantum Resistant Ledger (QRL) will ultimately offer protection against both.

For instance, a quantum-safe digital signature scheme named XMSS safeguards the coin from Shors algorithm.

Likewise, the QRL team will rely on Proof-of-Stake to head off mining-based attacks using Grovers search algorithm.

As you can see, the QRL team is thoroughly preparing for a post-quantum future. Their mission is an increasingly urgent one, as quantum computing continues to advance by leaps and bounds.

See more from Benzinga

2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Is Bitcoin (BTC) Safe from Grover's Algorithm? - Yahoo Finance

Operating a VPN generally looks very easy: just choose a location, click Connect, then Disconnect when you're done. But there's a lot of hard work going on under the hood.

Top of the list is how the app creates its connection to the server. Youhope it does this in the most secure way, right? But this doesn't always happen, and the worst offenders make horrible mistakes - especially with standard Windows VPN protocols (IKEv2, L2TP, PPTP, SSTP.)

Connections theoretically allowed with zero encryption, for instance, leaving you entirely protected? Yes, we've seen that several times!

If you only ever connect only via other protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, NordLynx, Lightway), then relax, we're not talking about those this time.

But if your app uses these Windows protocols, or you might use them in future, it's worth taking a couple of minutes to check out the relevant settings.

When you need to know more about your Windows VPN setup, the Network Connections window is the place to be. Type network connections in the Search box and click View Network Connections, or press Win+R, type NCPA.CPL and press Enter.

The default icon view doesn't give you much information. To switch, click the View button on the toolbar, or right-click an empty part of the window and select View, then choose Details,

Scan down the Name and Device Name columns, and you might spot the names of VPNs you're using now, or have used in the past. Surfshark, IPVanish, PureVPN, StrongVPN, VyprVPN, TurboVPN and others normally add new Windows VPN connections when they're installed (though in our experience, none of them make any dumb settings mistakes.)

Other VPNs only create the connection as required, when you click Connect. If you don't see anything right now, open your VPN, click Connect, and see if a new item appears in the Network Connections.

Keep in mind that we're looking only for connections using standard Windows protocols. If a connection has the device name 'WAN Miniport (IKEv2)', for instance, it's using IKEv2 and we need to check it. If it says something like 'TAP-Windows Adapter V9' then it's OpenVPN, and we don't.

Right-click an interesting connection and choose Properties to look at the settings.

Click the Security tab. (If you don't have one, this isn't a standard Windows connection. Try another.)

Ideally, the Data Encryption option should be set to 'Maximum strength encryption (disconnect if server declines).' It's not a total disaster if the connection is set to 'Require encryption', but we'd be more worried if it's set to 'Optional encryption (connect even if no encryption)' or 'No encryption allowed.'

How worried? Well, the 'Optional encryption' setting doesn't automatically leave you with no protection. If your app and the server correctly negotiate an encrypted connection, that's what you'll get. But even if it's only theoretically possible that you'd be left encryption-free, we think that's a big deal, especially as it's so easy to fix by just setting up the connection correctly in the first place.

Maybe your VPN provider has a good reason, but we'd recommend you at least ask. Fire off a message to Support. If you get a positive message plausibly explaining why having 'Optional Encryption' improves your security, great; if you get excuses or 'this doesn't really matter', maybe it's time to switch to another provider on our best VPN list.

Click the Options tab. If the 'Remember my credentials' option is checked, and the Windows connection is persistent (it was visible when you opened the Network Connections window), that means your server login username and password is saved along with the other connection details.

That's a potential risk, as your credentials can be harvested by malware or anyone else with access to your system. NirSoft's Dialupass is a tiny tool which does this with ease.

(If you download Dialupass, don't be surprised if your antivirus warns that it's a threat. Some hackers embed the program in their own malware, so antivirus apps can raise the alarm if they spot it. But Dialupass itself has been around for 20 years, and is entirely safe.)

Don't panic if your 'Remember...' option is turned on. The risk is small, and your credentials probably haven't been exposed. But why should you have to worry, at all? All the top VPNs leave this option set to Off, and if yours does something differently, ask them why.

There are one or two other interesting options in the Properties box. Click the Networking tab, for instance, and look at the 'Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)' item. If that's unchecked, it probably means your VPN app is trying to apply IPv6 leak protection... and that's a good thing!

There are other ways to block IPv6, though, so although we prefer to see the setting disabled, having it turned on doesn't necessarily mean you're exposed. Try the IPv6 leak test at IPV6Leak.com to find out more.

Click the General tab, too, and you'll find the name of the server your VPN is trying to access. Is it a host name you expect? Search Google for the name and sometimes you'll find it belongs to another VPN provider, maybe because your current provider is reselling their services.

A poorly set up Windows VPN connection doesn't automatically mean your details have been exposed to the world, but for us, it creates a really bad impression of the provider.

It's not even faintly difficult to set up the connection correctly, so we're left wondering, why is this provider not following best practice? Have they just not noticed? Aren't they concerned about risks if they're 'too small'? What else might they have 'forgotten' to do?

You could try to fix some of these issues with a few manual tweaks. Changing the Data Encryption from Optional to 'Maximum strength encryption (disconnect if server declines)', for instance, and it might stick.

There's a chance you'll cause other problems, though, if the connection isn't set up the way the VPN expects, so generally we'd recommend you don't bother. It's not your job to make a VPN safer, that's up to the provider, and if you don't think they're delivering, switch to someone else.

Today's top overall VPNs in full:

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Is your Windows VPN connection as secure as you think? - TechRadar

Called Matrix, the platform will provide German developers with the infrastructure, tools and protocols to build custom-made applications for instant messaging.

A fast-growing open communication platform has been picked by the German healthcare system to support instant messaging between health professionals and organizations across the country.

Called Matrix, the platform will provide German developers with the infrastructure, tools and protocols to build custom-made applications that will let up to 150,000 healthcare organizations securely share messages, data, images and files.

The entire healthcare system in Germany, from hospitals through clinics and insurance companies, will switch to this homegrown communication and collaboration network, which was hailed as a milestone in the country's digital transformation.

Healthcare organizations and professionals have increasingly been turning to digital tools to exchange information. In Germany, for example, between 2018 and 2020, the number of medical practices using messenger services has doubled.

According to the country's national agency for the digitalization of the healthcare system gematik, however,this switch to digital tools has been done in silo, resulting in a lack of interoperability between different professionals and organizations, as well as a failure to comply with appropriate security and privacy standards for what is likely to be highly sensitive patient information.

This is why gematik turned to Matrix, an open-source project that is designed to let organizations take ownership of their communication tools. Instead of relying on applications that exist already, Matrix users can access open-source HTTP APIs and SDKs for iOS, Android and Web, to develop their own chat rooms, video conferencing and instant messaging tools.

It isn't the first time that the German government has elected Matrix to run country-wide public services. Last year, the start-up was called uponto provide collaboration tools for 500,000 users in the education system in the states of Schlesweig-Holstein and Hamburg.

This time around, gematik will be using Matrix to build TI-Messenger, a new standard for instant messaging in the German healthcare system. The healthcare industry will be able to use TI-Messenger to create a wide range of apps for health organizations and professionals to use and all of them will be interoperable.

Gematik anticipates that between 15 and 20 apps will be built off the back of TI-Messenger for users to pick from for their daily communications needs, which will be available to every healthcare provider and professional once they have been securely authenticated.

One of the major benefits of using the system is better oversight and management of sensitive data. All servers in the network will effectively be hosted in Germany, either in the application vendor's datacenters or within healthcare institutions' own infrastructure.

Matrix has also committed to embedding end-to-end encryption as the by-default method in all of the services built on top of the platform, in another push to better protect data.

"Each organization and individual will therefore retain complete ownership and control of their communication data while being able to share it securely within the healthcare system with end-to-end encryption by default,"said Matrix co-founder Matthew Hodgson in a blog post announcing the new deal.

Underpinning the company's mission statement is the objective of moving away from today's most popular digital collaboration tools, which according to Matrix's founders, require users to make huge concessions when it comes to privacy and security.

Many organizations currently rely on centralized platforms, often hosted in the US, for their most critical communications yet have very little control over how their data is treated.

Matrix presents itself as an alternative to what the company's founders describe as a form of vendor lock-in, by giving users the means to create their own communication networks in a way, just like anybody can currently create their own website on the internet.

The idea is resonating with many customers, and the number of Matrix users is increasing at pace. During the COVID-19 crisis, the company saw a ten-fold increase in demand, and it has now hit 30 million users. Matrix's open-source platform was used by the French government to build Tchap, an app now used by employees to communicate instead of Telegram and WhatsApp.

Gematik, for its part, has confirmed that work is already underway to build the country's new network of communication for healthcare providers. The first Matrix-compliant apps are expected to be licensed by the second quarter of 2022.

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Germany's healthcare system is using this open source standard for encrypted instant messaging - ZDNet