March « 2016 « OpenCdA

March 11, 2016

Suspicion Confirmed

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: McEuen Field, McEuen_Security — Bill @ 11:48 am

In our March 8, 2016, post entitled A $315,000 SNAFU at McEuen?, OpenCdA observed that Coeur d’Alene’s city government sometimes buries items in the Council meeting’s Consent Calendar. The rationale for this practice stated on the Council agenda is a buried item is “considered routine by the City Council.” No need to inform the public by discussing the meat of such a buried item.

In our March 8 post, we expressed some concern this procedural interment might occur with an item, a contract change order, approved by the City’s General Services Committee at its March 3 meeting. We were right.

The online agenda for the March 15, 2016, City Council meeting lists this item G.6.b. on the Consent Calendar: Approval of Change Order No. 1 to the contract with Ednetics, Inc. for the IP Camera Surveillance System — Recommended by General Services Committee.

OpenCdA thinks this change order ought to have closer scrutiny before the casket is closed and buried by the City Council in the privacy of the Consent Calendar. (more…)

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March 10, 2016

Apple Bites, Part 4

Filed under: General — Tags: Apple — Bill @ 3:34 pm

Today the US Department of Justice filed its 43-page Government’s Reply in Support of Motion to Compel and Opposition to Apple Inc.’s Motion to Vacate Order.

The issue to be decided at the end of all this is whether Apple must obey a lawful court order compelling it to bypass safeguards on one specific Apple iPhone 5C used by the San Berdo Two terrorists.

We have linked to the two earlier filings in our preceding Apple Bites posts.

Regardless of how our readers feel about the issue, the filings by both Apple and the Department of Justice do a good job of explaining the challenges created by public key encryption and attendant security features in telecommunications devices.

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New CRS Report: Encryption: Selected Legal Issues

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: Apple — Bill @ 6:05 am

On March 3, 2016, the Congressional Research Service released an interesting report entitled Encryption: Selected Legal Issues.

The new report “… first provides background to the ongoing encryption debate, including a primer on encryption basics and and overview of Apple, Google, and Facebook’s new encryption policies.”

Then it provides “… an overview of the Fifth Amendment right to be free from self-incrimination; survey the limited case law concernig the compelled disclosure of encrypted data; and apply this case law to help determine if and when the government may require such disclosures.”

Finally it provides background on the All Writs Act and applies the associated case law to the case of the San Berdo Two and “potential future requests by the government to access a locked device.”

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March 8, 2016

A $315,000 SNAFU at McEuen?

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: McEuen Field, McEuen_Security — Bill @ 12:12 pm

OpenCdA happened to look at the online packet of information for the March 7, 2016, Coeur d’Alene General Services Committee meeting. This staff report associated with the meeting agenda item captioned “Change Order for the Public Safety IP Camera Surveillance System — Brandon Russell, Database Administrator” really got our attention.

Since this item was discussed by the City’s General Services Committee at the meeting, it will likely go before the entire City Council at an upcoming meeting.

The City sometimes buries items like this in the Consent Calendar to limit discussion. OpenCdA thinks this item in particular needs a great deal of discussion about possible wasteful expenditures based on inadequate information.

Our concern is the staff report contains compelling evidence causing us to question if an adequate imagery survey had been done to determine the actual needs and costs of the Public Safety IP Camera Surveillance System. (more…)

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March 2, 2016

Apple Bites, Part 3

Filed under: Probable Cause — Tags: Apple — Bill @ 7:17 am

OpenCdA hopes that FBI Director James Comey was intentionally misleading the House Judiciary Committee during his testimony on March 1.

According to today’s Los Angeles Times article headlined FBI isn’t the only agency that failed to unlock the San Bernardino killer’s iPhone, Director Comey implied that the FBI had sought help from other members of the US Intelligence Community to unlock the San Berdo Two‘s iPhone 5C, but other agencies had also been unsuccessful.

We hope Director Comey was being intentionally misleading; lying if necessary under oath to Congress. We hope the Intelligence Community has, in fact, quietly and successfully been able to gain access to information stored on the iPhones.

We also hope that Apple was fully and completely involved and cooperative in the effort. This LA Times article headlined While it defies U.S. government, Apple abides by China’s orders — and reaps big rewards explains what Apple has at stake. With a little reading between the lines, we hope OpenCdA readers can also see what’s at stake for the United States.

It is in the best interest of our national security that the People’s Republic of China and our other enemies continue to believe that Apple’s iPhone security measures are unbreakable even by the US Intelligence Community. It is also in our national security interest that if the security of Apple’s iPhones has been compromised, Apple is aware of it and is working to develop even more effective security.

Frankly, we hope that Apple is a 21st century skunk and that Tim Cook is another Kelly Johnson.

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