How would we ever know?

[kryptonyt]

With all the talk about who's watching who in our country; I don't read much about who's watching us from other places?

I've heard stories about hackers turning on camera's and watching people who have no idea that they are being watched. How would they know? If the blue light on my laptop camera doesn't go on how would I know that I'm being watched?

Would I be correct that some out there will advise if not admonish me about my firewall, antivirus program, maleware programs etc. But I wonder how many REAL techies can be absolutely sure that all ports are closed to invading eyes and ears?

Back a few months ago when " the government shut down " I heard that " a shut down government doesn't mean that only the congressmen and senators are sitting home ( still being paid BTW ) but that " the gatekeepers " had the
" gone fishing " sign hung outside their doors.

Hmmm if I wanted to know what is going on " in there " I would go inside when no one was watching and plant a few bugs, turn on a few switches and maybe turn off a few more switches then wait for the party to come back home. If I was really good at that sort of stuff I would plant enough stuff to fail safe itself and keep so busy looking for the obvious that they couldn't help but miss the real obvious.

How could we know what was happening while the cats were away?

Anyone notice any strange happenings with their stuff?:smokingsomb:

 

[kryptonyt]

Just as I hit "send" Face The Nation is asking a similar question. Let's see what they have to say.

 

[kryptonyt]

If you're interested in what the talking heads have to say.

Open: This is Face the Nation, December 22 - Videos - CBS News

If you understand what he said maybe you can translate it.

 

[kryptonyt]

Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tend to be the difficult ones. Donald Rumsfeld
21st United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 2001 to 2006

 

[dibblebill]

Everybody spies on everybody is what I assume. I only once got a computer virus and as soon as I saw the orange activity light on my webcam light up, I closed the privacy shutter. Now, I keep it closed at all times unless its in use.

 

[kryptonyt]

Everybody spies on everybody is what I assume. I only once got a computer virus and as soon as I saw the orange activity light on my webcam light up, I closed the privacy shutter. Now, I keep it closed at all times unless its in use.

So dibblebill, Thanks for your input...but I wonder what you think about the other part of my question. Do you think that other governments of corporations for that matter ( i saw another post in this forum about something that at&t is or is supposedly doing ).

If "WE" ( our country ) allowed our gatekeepers to leave their posts for a few days do you think it is possible that someone might see an opportunity to get inside and plant a few virus's, worms, TH's or other things to "watch"?

And I read the intro sticky here about being prepared for people to disagree. I'm no stranger to getting accused of being everything from paranoid, to any other number of insults from people who disagree or maybe just don't like me. But I like the fact that I live in a country that allows me to say whatever i want if I'm willing to be hear what others think of my idiotic ramblings or whatever else people want to call them.

My last post here about my phone doing weird things " Wonky " as one guy called it may in part be my wondering if some bug isn't effecting the wonkies that i'm still experiencing.

But through this period of time I've been hearing from other people I know that their messages have been disappearing.

My question really zeroed in on what i'm wondering here: How would we know? How could I know if my phone is Wonky because it is getting old or because someone has planted an instruction to do weird things.

Hasn't anyone who read this post experienced some strange wonkies?

 

[saptech]

Who knows! I personally wouldn't put it past the government or corporations to do anything legal or illegal for their benefit.

Why is the gov't giving away these free phones to the masses. Something to make you go, hmmm!!!

Social media enables us to connect directly to like minded people and get our message out quickly and without censorship. It enabled us to expose and reveal many facts that have been kept from us, and once people get the truth they demand change.

This is why free flow of information came under attack by the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a bill that was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and other similar bills.

 

[dibblebill]

Well, the first way to "know" is to learn how to read code, and to begin using FOSS on your device. A custom ROM with as much open-source core technology as possible is a start. Other than that, once you involve closed-source applications, your ability to know is immediately limited.

Insofar as spying goes, I don't mind when Google, Microsoft, etc. does it. I have the choice to consent to it or find another service. I'm not given that choice with a government- that choice is made at gunpoint (government action is always, by definition, done at gunpoint, but I'll leave that demonstration out for length and on-topic reasons) and is therefore not choice, but coersion. I could easily take my devices off of Google's radar and use open-source apps instead, or Amazan apps, etc, because I was given a choice. The government's choice is typically "Do this or be punished". Do it or get the gun.