'No computer is safe - if you have something important, write it out' -- Trump

[quade 3]

Quote

Trump: 'No computer is safe - if you have something important, write it out'

US PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD Trump says that “no computer is safe” when it comes to keeping information private, expressing new skepticism about the security of online communications his administration is likely to use for everything from day-to-day planning to international relations.

Trump rarely uses email or computers despite his frequent tweeting.

“You know, if you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier, the old-fashioned way. Because I’ll tell you what: No computer is safe,” Trump told reporters during his annual New Year’s Eve party, adding:
"I don’t care what they say."

Source and more:
http://www.thejournal.ie/trump-computers-3166341-Jan2017/

I wonder if Trump knows why or when encryption was invented? I wonder if he knows what a Caesar Cypher is?

Clearly Trump has somebody on his staff who has ensured Trump's twitter account in reasonably locked down (which is more than we can say for some high level tech CEO's like Zuckerberg), but still, Trump seems to be completely unaware of how life in 2017 relies on encryption and how the US would essentially have to go back to the Stone Age if they followed his recommendations.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[JerryBaumchen 1,072]

Hi Paul,

Quote

the US would essentially have to go back to the Stone Age if they followed his recommendations.

When I read about him & listen to him, I think that is just what he wants to do.

'Make America Great Again'

Jerry Baumchen

[yoink 321]

He's not technically incorrect.

Any cypher can be broken, but we all know that the real weakness is in the people in the system - either by poor programming or by poor security procedures.

[quade 3]

yoink

He's not technically incorrect.

Any cypher can be broken, but we all know that the real weakness is in the people in the system - either by poor programming or by poor security procedures.

Any cypher can be broken given enough time and samples, and assuming the data doesn't self-destruct after N tries.[/I]. Hence the issue with the FBI and even an out-of-date iPhone.

Yes, people being careless are the easiest way in. Couriers are also people which is why since ancient times their secret messages have also been encrypted.

My entire point is, it makes no difference whatsoever if you send via a human courier or email it's still going to have to be encrypted and the best encryption is one that's not going to have any backdoors built into it either.

Sending via human courier is just silly as it slows down the communication, is really no more secure, and also risks the life of an individual.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[AlanS 1]

yoink

He's not technically incorrect.

Any cypher can be broken, but we all know that the real weakness is in the people in the system - either by poor programming or by poor security procedures.

Except "One-time Pad". That cannot be broken. And quantum key distribution guarantees that there isn't a man-in-the-middle listening, so that can be used for key distribution.

In most cases it isn't worth the hassle, and encryption keys are fine and like you said the real weakness is usually in the people any way.

[skinnay 0]

quade

***He's not technically incorrect.

Any cypher can be broken, but we all know that the real weakness is in the people in the system - either by poor programming or by poor security procedures.

Any cypher can be broken given enough time and samples, and assuming the data doesn't self-destruct after N tries.[/I]. Hence the issue with the FBI and even an out-of-date iPhone.

Yes, people being careless are the easiest way in. Couriers are also people which is why since ancient times their secret messages have also been encrypted.

My entire point is, it makes no difference whatsoever if you send via a human courier or email it's still going to have to be encrypted and the best encryption is one that's not going to have any backdoors built into it either.

Sending via human courier is just silly as it slows down the communication, is really no more secure, and also risks the life of an individual.

Just to add to this; it's well established that even if you assume you unlimited computing resources there is still not enough power on earth to brute force most modern crypto standards. This discussion really requires so much background knowledge that there's no point in even having. The "no computer is safe" talk is exactly the same shit as the anti-vaccine movement. It's best for most people to just shut the fuck up and listen to the people who actually know something.

[ryoder 1,404]

Amusing article from WaPo on the coming Luddite-in-Chief: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/will-trumps-white-house-have-computers/2017/01/02/6411f4ba-d12b-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.