[ale] Fwd: Everybody PANIC | EFFector 28.04

Thu Apr 2 09:15:51 EDT 2015

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: EFFector List <editor at eff.org>
Date: Wed, Apr 1, 2015 at 1:20 PM
Subject: Everybody PANIC | EFFector 28.04
To: Charles Shapiro <charles.shapiro at tomshiro.org>

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In our -65535th issue:
Security Experts: PANIC <https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

MITRE has announced the PANIC vulnerability, a critical security flaw which
affects the server administrators and software developers underpinning
almost every interaction we have with the Internet. PANIC is particularly
dangerous as it has the potential to interfere with administrators' ability
to safely patch other vulnerabilities. This issue appears to have existed,
undiscovered or unreported, since the creation of the very first networked
computers. It is not yet known if PANIC has been exploited in the wild.
EFF Wins Court Battle to Have Pig Latin Approved For Civilian Use
<https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

After more than three years of litigation, EFF has prevailed in Ohencay v
NSA with a unanimous panel of the Ninth Circuit ruling that the federal
prohibition on Pig Latin is inconsistent with the First Amendment. Fred
Mithsay, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, said that the
government was disappointed in the decision and was considering an appeal
to the Supreme Court. "Unrestricted use of Pig Latin threatens national
security," said Mithsay. "Al-Qaeda could use it to organize the latest
strike on the homeland or my DOJ coworkers might use it to keep me from
knowing about the coolest parties."
NSA Tells Public To Reduce Use of Passive Voice In Email
<https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

Both style and national security are impacted by the use of passive voice,
the NSA said today. Having spent many billions of taxpayer dollars to
capture all private electronic communication, the agency is frustrated that
poor writing habits are making this data difficult to analyze. "We strongly
prefer short declarative sentences where the actor is clearly identified,"
said an NSA spokesperson. "Instead of writing, 'The protest will be
attended by many activists,' it would be better to write, 'Known dissidents
Amy Goodman, Laura Poitras, and Glenn Greenwald will travel by bus to the
protest in Washington Square Park, New York, and will arrive at
approximately 1:04 p.m. on April 1st, 2015.'" The NSA further suggested
that instead of composing private email, citizens could instead fill out a
webform at NSA.gov or travel to Bluffdale, Utah and share all of their most
private secrets with the NSA in person.
Privacy Nihilists Debate Mass Surveillance <https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

The tension was palpable at the first ever Privacy Nihilist Debate held
earlier this week in the gymnatorium of San Francisco's Uli Kunkel High
School. It started with a strong opening statement: "There is no truth to
observe, so from a metaphysical and epistemological perspective, mass
surveillance is meaningless." That was followed by a gripping rejoinder:
"Merelogically, any perceptor, even myself, will not perceive 'me,' only
improper misperceptions of supposed parts of me. The truth of my being
cannot be known even if all observable parts are cataloged. The government
is capable only of making inherently flawed observations that cannot form
the basis of correct action." Ultimately, the nihilists agreed that no act
is inherently right or wrong and concluded the debate with a group shrug.
Leaked Documents Reveal NSA Once Ran Dangerously Low on Codenames
<https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

The Intercept has published a PowerPoint slide released by Edward Snowden
showing that as late as 1999, the NSA was dangerously close to depleting
all appropriate permutations of English words to serve as codenames for its
surveillance efforts. One internal projection states that before a new
reserve of words was added to the supply, the last available
combination--OBSEQUIOUS MOUSTACHEHORSE--was set to be assigned in 2004. The
presentation implies, but does not explicitly state, that the Agency may
have introduced those newly discovered words to the general population, and
suggests that this is the origin of "blog."
Obama Requests "Flash Track" for TPP <https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

In a televised address on Tuesday, President Obama defended the secrecy of
his administration's trade negotiations, and called for the most aggressive
measures yet. While transparency and civil society advocates have
previously opposed so-called "Fast Track" bills--which limit Congress to a
single up-or-down vote after secret negotiations on the Trans-Pacific
Partnership have concluded--Obama has doubled down with a "Flash Track"
proposal that gives Congress just 15 minutes to raise objections from the
moment Obama declares the agreement completed. "I'm not going to mince
words here," stated Obama. "It will probably be in the middle of the night,
while everybody's sleeping. But trust me, this is what the American public
needs."
White House Reverses Course on Glass Doors Remodel
<https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

The White House has turned its back on yet another component in its
ill-fated campaign to be the Most Transparent Administration in History,
removing its newly installed sliding glass doors and replacing them with
traditional wooden models. Transparency advocates have been vocal in their
disappointment, but a White House spokesperson said the move is necessary,
as both Bo Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have repeatedly run into the
closed doors.
miniLinks

Congress To Extend Copyright Terms for All Artistic Works to "Life of
Mickey Mouse plus 70 years." <https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

After several impassioned speeches about the harms of piracy, Congressional
leaders introduced a bill tying the terms of all copyrights to the lifespan
of the fictitious rodent Mickey.

Harris Corporation Demands Non-Disclosure Agreements From Aquarium Visitors
<https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

The maker of the Stingray cell-tracking surveillance equipment is
notoriously tight-lipped. It's taken that secrecy to a new level in a new
partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, demanding visitors to the
stingray tank refrain from discussing what they see there.

EFF Scores Zero Stars on Inaugural "Who's On Our Backs" Report
<https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

A coalition of tech giants, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter, have
released a scorecard grading advocacy groups who continue to badger them
about their privacy practices. The categories included: "Readily Appeased,"
"Easily Misled," and "In Our Pockets." EFF got zero stars.

Shari Steele Attempts EFF Overthrow <https://www.eff.org/pages/04/01>

In a sudden reversal, outgoing Executive Director of 15 years Shari Steele
has announced that she will instead cling to power, changing her title to
Executive Dictator For Life. EFF staff graciously accepts the rule of Shari
Steele, long may she reign.
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