[tor-talk] Harvard student used Tor to send bomb threats, gets caught by old-fashioned policework

[DeveloperChris]

Regards
Developer Chris
DeveloperChris at rebel.com.au

On 20/12/2013 12:24 PM, Mirimir wrote:
> On 12/19/2013 06:37 PM, Joe Btfsplk wrote:
>>> This is going seriously OT, so I'll cease after this post.
>>> Using Tor to make bomb threats is clearly off-topic for tor-talk.
>> Was anyone that's commented defending the guy for making bomb threats?
>> Was the focus on making bomb threats, or was it on how (seemingly)
>> easily they narrowed it down to a few individuals?
> Nobody was defending him, but some of his technical mistakes were
> pointed out, perhaps without suitable distancing. Mea culpa.
>
>> I didn't get the sense that the discussion was about making bomb threats.
>>
>> Besides, what's legal in one country may be very illegal in another.
>> So when one says, "Using Tor (or any thing) for illegal porpoises,"
>> which country are we talking about?
>> "Legitimate use" is relative.
>>
>> Point I got was, IF... you are using Tor in a freedom / no freedom or
>> life & death situation, there may be several ways to get caught, "nearly
>> caught," "hauled in & questioned for hours," "put on a watch list," etc.
>>
>> If "bad people" using Tor can be tracked down (or narrowed to a few
>> individuals), what about "good people?"  Which is which, is often relative.
> I totally agree with your points.
>
> Upon reflection, it may have been tactics for dealing with police that
> jimmymac at copper.net was referring to.

I haven't been following this conversation so please excuse me if I am 
covering old stuff here, but this situation is something I have been very 
concerned about since the silk road was busted. I found the excuses given as 
to how the silk road was busted as far far too flimsy.

My knowledge of TOR is severely limited but I have a major concern about TOR 
and the number of nodes.

Given the following...
     A bomb threat is considered a terrorist activity
     Tor was a US military project
     Tor was funded until very recently by the US military (possibly still 
is under guises)
     As we have recently discovered The US/UK/Australian etc governments 
have no qualms in spying on everybody and everything and using illegal means 
to do so.
     The above lie outright.

     Tor has very few nodes, what ~4k+ How many of those nodes are directly 
military, how many nodes have been subverted, by well, anyone with an 
interest in TOR and the know how (read military). A timing attack in my 
opinion is more than just feasible it is very likely.

If the FBI/NSA used TOR to track down this person, a potential terrorist. 
Would they be honest about it? Obvious answer NO!.

Is TOR safe?

Put it another way. If I was the military I'd be very keen on subverting TOR 
and then using every means at my disposal to deny that I had done so.

The very people TOR  is designed to protect probably don't have enough 
knowledge of TOR to use it safely. I asked an acquaintance the other day, a 
technically wise person. "How many nodes do you think TOR has?" His answer 
"Oh I don't know, Millions!?"