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Linux Kernel 4.17 saw the inclusion of NSA's 'controversial' encryption algorithm Speck. Linux Kernel 4.18 will see Speck being available as a supported algorithm with fscrypt and not everyone is happy about it.
Before you panic or form wrong conclusions, you should know that Speck is not a backdoor. It's just a not-so-strong encryption algorithm from American agency NSA and it's available as a module in Linux Kernel.
The algorithm in question, Speck, is a 'weak' encryption (lightweight block cipher) designed for devices with low computing powers i.e., IoT devices.
NSA wanted Speck and its companion algorithm Simon to become a global standard for next generation of internet-of-things gizmos and sensors.
NSA tried to aggressively push this algorithm to an extent that some cryptographer alleged bullying and harassment at the hands of NSA.
The problem with the algorithm is that the International Organization of Standards (ISO) rejected Speck and Simon.
Google engineer Eric Biggers requested the inclusion of Speck in Kernel 4.17 because Google is going to provide Speck as an option for dm-crypt and fscrypt on Android.
The focus is on providing encryption on Android Go, an Android version tailored to run on entry-level smartphones. As of today, these devices are not encrypted because AES is not fast enough for the low-end devices.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Friday August 10 2018, @07:14PM (11 children)
He may be just saying, but he's saying it about the NSA. They deserve absolutely zero trust, and extreme suspicion for any of their activities. It's like saying that some guy likely wants to abuse a child for X reason, and you point out the hearsay and lack of evidence while completely ignoring that this same guy was already convicted of mass kiddie fucking. It may be a theory as to why the NSA is doing it, but it's not even paranoia anymore to say that the NSA fundamentally provides a disservice to the American people and they should be treated with heavy suspicion.
Those assclowns had their chances. So many chances to do the right thing and increase the level of security in America's communications and computing in general. Instead, in every single case they chose to weaponize information for use against America's enemies, and ultimately against the American people as well. That's completely ignoring any kind of collusion with Microsoft and others to deliberately introduce weaknesses. We're just talking about bugs and exploits that they never bothered to responsibly disclose.
What good does the NSA do again? For average Americans? Why should we ever trust them again? For that matter, considering this government talks about utterly stupid shit like "responsible encryption", why should we trust that the government would ever cooperate with establishing real security in computing?
No, the U.S government has strongly established itself as the enemy of free computing. There's no paranoia involved. Just facts.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 10 2018, @07:33PM (8 children)
Hi, rest of the world here. Fuck you and go vote for someone who's neither D nor R if you want change. The NSA at least has the courtesy to call their good chums at GCHQ to do the actual spying on you Murricans, because of your inalienable rights. These are magically invalid for the rest of the world, so us subhumans have to beware of getting our every digital move recorded and analyzed by what must be the most significant subversion of basic human rights in history.
BTW please tell your non-D or R rep you want the NSA to take the FBI and DEA with them on the way out. More magic superpower agencies doing the same shit, just less public. While I think about it, write about that military of yours too. Your "defense" spendings make it quite clear this force is actually meant for aggression. You're quite lucky the rest of the world has not long done what must be done to an aggressor to achieve peace.
Free computing my ass. More like enemy of humanity. Please die.
(Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 10 2018, @09:40PM
What a sad, sad deluded individual you are. You live in a bubble that you think you represent the rest of Americans. Take your own advice.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by requerdanos on Friday August 10 2018, @10:13PM (2 children)
That's sage advice [freworld.info]. We have a climate here where people say "bipartisan" and instead of understanding that it means "R and D closing ranks against you", believe that it means "neutral". It doesn't.
Then we have people who, when you say "the rest of the world", think you mean "the rest of America", which is about the general level of sophistication of the voters that needs to grasp that when the elected positions change, the government doesn't change (just figureheads and legislators), because the government is executed through a multitude of agencies whose staff will change by perhaps two to three persons if that after even a presidential election.
To roll back the changes that brought about comprehensive NSA domestic spying, we have to build a government with neither R nor D in charge. It's honestly been slow going so far. I don't think that the fact that it even affects the Linux kernel is going to swing many votes, either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 10 2018, @10:23PM (1 child)
Funny how we can agree here while stabbing each others with shivs in that other discussion. Ah, the joys of AC :)
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Friday August 10 2018, @10:34PM
When you're right, you're right; I'd agree with you here even if both threads were under your name. I was serious in thanking you for your cultural perspective.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Saturday August 11 2018, @04:38AM (2 children)
The DOD was at one time called the "Department Of War", but then war went out of style.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Saturday August 11 2018, @07:03PM (1 child)
So how long until they rename it to “Department of Peace”?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Sunday August 12 2018, @01:13AM
It's Department of Piece. How big of a piece of the government pie can you get?
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Sunday August 12 2018, @01:16AM
Dear rest of the world,
You only constitute a mere 95 % of the world population. Yet you expect Americans to believe that there are actually other countries or people outside the US.
(95% = google US population, google world population, divide)
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @07:42AM
SELinux isn't that bad.
In contrast I'm finding it hard to figure out what good the CIA has done... And the CIA certainly have done a whole lot more evil than the NSA.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @11:54AM
Not convicted. The evidence has been circulating in public for years, and is not even disputed, yet there has been not a single arraignment.