p2p/mesh apps

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blackeagle603
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p2p/mesh apps

Post by blackeagle603 »

1st consideration: Which is most secure, most trusted?

2nd consideration: Of those which is most widely used? (take advantage of the network effect )

I see Bridgefy getting press from the Hong Kong protest. But security seems suspect with need to register the way you do...

I've had Signal for a while. Haven't used it much lately. Used it at work for some chats that non-work related and may or may not have been firearm/RKBA related.
Hong Kong Protestors Using Mesh Messaging App China Can't Block: Usage Up 3685%
John Koetsier
John Koetsier Contributor
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John Koetsier is a journalist, analyst, author, and speaker.

How do you communicate when the government censors the internet? With a peer-to-peer mesh broadcasting network that doesn't use the internet.

That's exactly what Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters are doing now, thanks to San Fransisco startup Bridgefy's Bluetooth-based messaging app. The protesters can communicate with each other — and the public — using no persistent managed network.
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BDK
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by BDK »

This actually ties into something which came up on an Aggie forum.

Modern "phones" are built, and designed, as toys for children. They are unsuitable for professionals/anyone who's knowledge is of significant economic value.

Some manner of single-write encryption, working off a 2 way pager network (pagers don't have GPS chips) might be a fairly simple way to come up with a very simple device to permit secure, and authenticated, communication. I've also been thinking about something just based off wifi.

Keep everything very simple, so its easy to audit, and perhaps vend random data in some fashion, so that it can be bought from vending machines, for cash, and loaded into a hub, as well as directly on each pager.

Even if it wasn't used for extensive communication, it could be used to request that someone take their phone out of a faraday bag/otherwise be available/to authenticate a payment order, etc.
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randy
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by randy »

I don't think that GPS chips in and of themselves are an issue. It's what phone makers do with that data that is an issue. A device that does not route GPS data out of the phone would be useful for the time keeping functions if nothing else. Especially some since some types of encryption require a very accurate time code to synch up the users.

I guess you could always use a "crippled" GPS that does not generate position data, but only uses the timing signal.
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BDK
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by BDK »

I get it. If you could only receive GPS signal, that would be handy - but the issue is how to ensure that it CANNOT be transmitted... And, unless the hardware is very simple, it becomes too hard to audit, I think - and I don't think software blocks should be trusted.

Similarly, how I think people should still carry a flip phone, and it should physically cut the power to the microphones and main speaker, when closed.
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randy
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by randy »

Well, you could hardcode the software onto a ROM so that nothing could change it after it left the factory. The software only reading the GPS data in specific functions (position display and time hack), not passing anything along. If you don't trust the software for the initial load, well how do you know you can trust the hardware? Manufactures can slip backdoors into either. You are going to have to audit the initial factory software either way to ensure it complies with what you want to do.

Depends on what your mission objective is, so leaving out the GPS might end up being the optimal answer. But that doesn't mean the software and hardware audit won't need to be just as detailed (how do you know the device isn't recording everything that passes through it and being dumped at commanded intervals? Or is not collecting WiFi connections and passing that along to assist location tracking? Yes, I am paranoid. Why do you ask?)
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
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HTRN
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by HTRN »

BDK wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 4:01 pm imilarly, how I think people should still carry a flip phone, and it should physically cut the power to the microphones and main speaker, when closed.
The problem is, theres no market for that.
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g-man
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by g-man »

HTRN wrote: Fri Sep 06, 2019 1:41 pm
BDK wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 4:01 pm imilarly, how I think people should still carry a flip phone, and it should physically cut the power to the microphones and main speaker, when closed.
The problem is, theres no market for that.
There is likely a niche market for it, but also likely that anyone who would want that functionality has the capability of modding their own commercially sourced flip phone, or knows someone who could.
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HTRN
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by HTRN »

What youre proposing doesnt do anything about systems like carnivore from tracking, recording, and analyzing when the phone is in use.

BuyIng a cheap flip phone, periodically disposing of it, or at least the gsm card, and pulling the battery when needed is what you really want to do, or have you not watched Burn Notice ;)
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g-man
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by g-man »

I'm a former intel officer... I can't talk about what I really want to do. :evil:
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randy
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Re: p2p/mesh apps

Post by randy »

g-man wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2019 2:07 am I'm a former intel officer... I can't talk about what I really want to do. :evil:
One nice thing about having been out of the field for over 25 years. Don't know enough about the new tech to where my speculation crosses over into such issues.

Some areas, yeah but not cell or mesh technology. Sort of like a WWIII vet talking about satellites.

Damn I'm getting old.
...even before I read MHI, my response to seeing a poster for the stars of the latest Twilight movies was "I see 2 targets and a collaborator".
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