[liberationtech] Designing the best network infrastructure for a Human Rights NGO

[anonymous2013 at nym.hush.com]

Thanks, yes I also have seen young and old people use linux but I've also seen hundreds of people trained to use it and as soonas they have to update a package in Linux, get confused and reach for a windows machine. The NGO in a box stuff is ok but not what I am asking about at all, I'm speaking about a network for a Western NGO with significant operations and exposure from high-level threats and on the ground in 3rd world countries. 

Most of what I have gotten so far are lectures and rhetoric.


On Thu, Feb 28 at 06:26 PM (UTC), "Julian Oliver" <julian at julianoliver.com> wrote:

> ..on Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 03:00:11PM +0000,
> anonymous2013 at nym.hush.com wrote:
> > If you think you can get a board member or a finance person
> in an NGO to use
> > Linux then you are detached from the reality of how most
> NGO's work. The use
> > will simply ignore it.
> 
> Really? Have you tried a recent desktop Linux distribution? What
> about Android?
> While not a fan of Ubuntu myself, I've seen both an 11yr old
> girl and a 70yr old
> retired farmer installing packages and watching videos, making
> documents in
> Ubuntu. One quite often hears many people find it far less
> confusing than
> Windows.
> 
> Linux is just a kernel. GNU tools, applications and the UI are
> what make it a
> Desktop OS - and they vary in usability.
> 
> Anyway, to be a little more constructive on the topic, check out
> Tactical Tech's
> NGO-in-a-box. All built on free and open software:
> 
> "Everyday tools for NGOs Base NGO in-a-box is a collection
> of tools for the
> day-to-day running of small to medium sized NGOs. Produced by
> Tactical Tech in
> association with WomensNet, this toolkit aims to make it easier
> to set up base,
> find the right software and learn how to use it. Targeted
> primarily at NGOs and
> advocacy organisations in developing countries the Box contains
> a set of
> peer-reviewed Free and Open Source Software tools, with
> associated guides and
> tutorials."
> 
>     http://archive.tacticaltech.org/ngo-in-a-box-base.html
> 
> Testimonials:
> 
>     http://archive.tacticaltech.org/whatpeoplesayaboutus.html
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Julian
> 
> > 
> > On Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:50:08 +0000 "Andreas
> Bader" 
> > <noergelpizza at hotmail.de> wrote:
> > >anonymous2013 at nym.hush.com:
> > >> Hi, 
> > >> We are a human rights NGO that is looking to
> invest in the best 
> > >> possible level of network security (protection
> from high-level 
> > >> cyber-security threats, changing
> circumvention/proxy to protect 
> > >IP 
> > >> address etc, encryption on endpoints and server,
> IDS/Physical 
> > >and 
> > >> Software Firewall/File Integrity Monitoring,
> Mobile Device 
> > >> Management, Honeypots) we can get for a our
> internal network. I 
> > >was 
> > >> wondering if people would critique the following
> network, add 
> > >> comments, suggestions and alternative
> methods/pieces of 
> > >software. 
> > >> (Perhaps if it goes well we could make a short
> paper out of it, 
> > >for 
> > >> others to use.)
> > >I also work for a human rights NGO.
> > >First don't use an internal network, you need a
> decentral 
> > >communication
> > >and information network.
> > >Second, Windows is not easier than Linux, compare
> Windows 8 and 
> > >Debian
> > >with Gnome 2.
> > >I would probably use a SEL Kernel like in SL 6, when
> possible a 
> > >Live-System.
> > >Forget all the closed-source software.
> > >Now the Software:
> > >-Firefox with Torbutton
> > >-Thunderbird with Torbirdy and OpenPGP
> > >-Vidalia
> > >Encrypt your systems with LUKS, its also FDE. Truecrypt
> doesn't 
> > >work
> > >with Linux as FDE.
> > >You can possibly try Liberte Linux, someone on this
> list presented 
> > >it to
> > >us, its made for secure communication.
> > >And if you are unsure about Linux and Windows in
> "High Level 
> > >Security
> > >Systems", then you should probably go and get a
> real
> > >Sysadmin/Security-Fanatic.
> > >How good are you with IT-Sec?
> > >I don't want to offend you, but you sound like a
> beginner.
> > >
> > >Andreas
> > >
> > >(P.S.: Skype? You can't be serious. ICQ and
> Facebookchat is more 
> > >secure.
> > >Use IRC).
> > >--
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> >
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> 
> > 
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> -- 
> Julian Oliver
> http://julianoliver.com
> http://criticalengineering.org
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