[liberationtech] decloudification: reverting to typewriters?

[Joseph Lorenzo Hall]

Also, there's quite a bit of work on "keyboard emanations" (listening 
to sound from keyboards) which could be applied to typewriters with 
little modification. So these had better be well-swept (against 
listening devices) rooms! Or have tons of typewriters in each room... 
or dynamically realocate the keys on the typewriter (not sure if that's 
possible or practical!). best, Joe

On Wed Jul 17 12:01:00 2013, Griffin Boyce wrote:
>   If you need something typed, but don't want it to be easily stolen,
> typewriters would be a good option.  However, if the goal is to prevent
> leaking, then that's not really going to work.  It's not difficult to xerox
> something or take a photo and then leak *that*.  Cameras can be very tiny,
> and portable scanners can be hidden in a jacket pocket or under a pant leg.
>
>   Security hasn't disappeared just because we default to using technology.
>
>   The Kremlin's a big place though. Ordering just four typewriters doesn't
> necessarily mean that they've changed security or tactics.  I do have to
> wonder if they're just replacing other typewriters... or maybe the recent
> leakstravaganza has made them reconsider their own policies :D
>
> ~Griffin
>
>
>
>   If you need something typed, but don't want it to be easily stolen,
> typewriters would be a good option.  However, if the goal is to
> prevent leaking, then that's not really going to work.  It's not
> difficult to xerox something or take a photo and then leak *that*.
> Cameras can be very tiny, and portable scanners can be hidden in a
> jacket pocket or under a pant leg.
>
>   Security hasn't disappeared just because we default to using technology.
>
>   The Kremlin's a big place though. Ordering just four typewriters
> doesn't necessarily mean that they've changed security or tactics.  I
> do have to wonder if they're just replacing other typewriters... or
> maybe the recent leakstravaganza has made them reconsider their own
> policies :D
>
> ~Griffin
>
> --
> Sent from a tracking device. Please excuse typocetera.
>
>
> --
> Too many emails? Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password by emailing moderator at companys at stanford.edu or changing your settings at https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech

--
Joseph Lorenzo Hall
Senior Staff Technologist
Center for Democracy & Technology
1634 I ST NW STE 1100
Washington DC 20006-4011
(p) 202-407-8825
(f) 202-637-0968
joe at cdt.org
PGP: https://josephhall.org/gpg-key
fingerprint: BE7E A889 7742 8773 301B 4FA1 C0E2 6D90 F257 77F8