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Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
ProtonMail suggests fear of the Donald prompting lockdown
"ProtonMail follows the Swiss policy of neutrality. We do not take any position for or against Trump," the Swiss company's CEO stated on Monday, before revealing that new user sign-ups immediately doubled following Trump's election victory.
ProtonMail has published figures showing that as soon as the election results rolled in, the public began to seek out privacy-focused services such as its own.
CEO Andy Yen said that, in communicating with these new users, the company found people apprehensive about the decisions that President Trump might take and what they would mean considering the surveillance activities of the National Security Agency.
"Given Trump's campaign rhetoric against journalists, political enemies, immigrants, and Muslims, there is concern that Trump could use the new tools at his disposal to target certain groups," Yen said. "As the NSA currently operates completely out of the public eye with very little legal oversight, all of this could be done in secret."
ProtonMail was launched back in May 2014 by scientists who had met at CERN and MIT. In response to the Snowden revelations regarding collusion between the NSA and other email providers such as Google, they created a government-resistant, end-to-end encrypted email service.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/11/14/protonmail_subs_double_after_trump_victory/
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday November 15 2016, @04:27AM
But they weren't trying to hide the fact of WHO they were talking to. They are expected to email their staff aren't they? (Ok, maybe not Anthony Weiner, but I'm betting his wife shared those with him, or that was his get out of jail free card).
So traffic analysis doesn't matter. Further it doesn't do you any good unless you have total access to all channels. Go to Starbucks, or park outside a Comcast subscribers house.
There's something to e said for only accessing the email server over the web and never having the email on your machine. You have to believe very strongly in TLS/SSL (which I don't), but if the server is out of reach of a subpoena you are probably better off than having it on your machine even with full drive encryption.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday November 15 2016, @12:48PM
Even Protonmail can sniff anything that crosses their systems in live mode. Email simply is not secure. Don't use it for sensitive communications if you don't absolutely trust every bit of network kit you have to cross to deliver it.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.