[tor-talk] Did Australian Authorities hack (US) computers with Tor's help?

[Chris]

On 2016-08-21 10:18 AM, Cannon wrote:
> On 08/21/2016 01:06 AM, Chris wrote:
>> Microsoft Windows is a threat to your security. All proprietary 
>> software
>> is a threat. Intel and AMD are a threat to your security. There is
>> remote control functionality built into every Intel and AMD CPU since
>> 2009 and 2013
> 
> USA technology is garbage. By default dont trust any tech company based
> out of the USA. I am not anti-armican, I just dont let patriotism blind
> me to reality of the world.

It would be naive to think that only the US government or American 
companies are compromising our security and privacy. We have knowledge 
of the Chinese backdooring home-grown systems based on ARM through 
keyboard controller firmware and there have also been public statements 
about such things being required in recent years (in response to US 
actions).

Russia and Germany appear to be aware of problems with US processors as 
they've stopped using x86 technology in certain places or funded 
projects that deal with some of these issues. Where do you think the 
funding to get CoreBoot for X86 came from on the Lenovos years ago? 
LibreBoot which is completely free (meaning the complete sources are 
available) is based off that work. Russia has moved to using typewriters 
for security reasons and started designing its own CPUs too.

Now I don't have an example of Iran or North Korea doing anything 
technologically as far as computers go- but in other areas they've 
clearly demonstrated an understanding that for security reasons they 
can't be dependent on foreign designed technology (particularly given 
their opposition). These countries are designing all sorts of military 
hardware even where they might otherwise be able to obtain such hardware 
from friendly countries (to them, tanks, etc).

A start to securing our systems has to come from gaining access to the 
complete set of source code for all core components. It's not feasible 
to design many of these components from scratch. The costs are 
astronomical (it'll cost millions of dollars just to design a CPU and 
get some samples made, and that doesn't include manufacturing it, 
testing it, or manufacturing it at a cost effective price point, without 
the numbers you won't succeed, and nobody will use it then, and that 
means it would be ridiculously expensive. To succeed you would have to 
prepay 100 million dollars to have a line dedicated to you such that the 
cost of the CPU drops to a point to be competitive on the market. This 
is why All Winner, one company designing CPUs has been successful, 
because if you get just a 100 CPUs manufactured 50% or more of those 
will not work, but if you have a line dedicated to manufacturing your 
CPU then they can keep adjusting the machinery and over a six month 
period the production results improve. Now you don't have to throw away 
50% of the CPUs because they are defective. Now you get to keep 95% of 
the CPUs. All Winner has large quantities of its CPUs manufactured over 
a sixth month period and then maintains a large stock of CPUs that are 
sold over many years This is what makes All Winner's CPUs so 
ridiculously cheap and competitive on the market. Comparatively 
companies like AMD and Intel can't do that short of switching 
architectures and that will mean these companies lose there 
compatibility advantage. Eventually in the not so distant future you 
will be able to buy a non-Intel/AMD CPU that is faster for less money. 
Intel already can't produce its CPUs at a profit and remain competitive.

There are also very few companies or countries for that matter capable 
of manufacturing the core components- like CPUs and wifi chips. For any 
given core technology we have at best 5-6 companies capable of it. Every 
other technology company then licenses the tech and has these companies 
manufacture those core components for them. Companies like Microsoft, 
Apple, and Dell don't manufacture anything. Not really. At best they 
might have some people making already developed technology pretty. 
Companies like Intel, AMD, Qualcomm Atheros, Samsung, and similar do 
have design capabilities and sometimes manufacturing capabilities for 
these types of core components. However even these companies whom are 
designing these components don't always have sufficient facilities to do 
the production or any for that matter. AMD doesn't manufacture anything 
for example. Intel is now manufacturing other companies CPUs (Intel is 
losing money and is losing face due technological failures that prevent 
it from advancing its CPUs at competitive prices, and we're seeing that 
already at a cost level, even if the prices sold at are competitive at 
the moment).

Both US and UK citizens are working on free'ing us of hostile Chinese 
and US technology/backdoors. Go check it out here: 
https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68