Expanding this further, you might also frame this as surveillance by obscurity.

Or the whole suite of information-monopoly vices: surveillance, censorship, disinformation, propaganda, manipulation.

https://joindiaspora.com/posts/7bfcf170eefc013863fa002590d8e506

All rely on a level of indirection between the target and the attacker, and on systems whose malicious behaviour is brokered by a not-immediately-apparent flaw.

#SecurityByObscurity #InsecurityByObscurity #SurveillanceByObscurity #monopoly #surveillance

We’ve been thinking about it wrong: The norm has been Insecurity by obscurity

The Crypto AG CIA backdoor story (2020) clarifies to me much of the neverending flood of “outlaw strong crypto” thinkpieces and “lawful access” (a/k/a mandated backdoors) proposals.

I realised today that the whole #SecurityByObscurity discussion was missing a major insight: For much of the Cold War period, the operational standard has been instead #InsecurityByObscurity ...

https://joindiaspora.com/posts/b596219086b1013991d8002590d8e506

@natecull Crypto AG clarifies to me much of the "outlaw strong crypto" and "lawful access" (a/k/a mandated backdoors) proposals.

Thinking about that earlier today (before seeing your toot), I realised that the whole #SecurityByObscurity discussion was missing a major insight.

For much of the Cold War period, the operational standard has been instead #InsecurityByObscurity

Crypto AG was an allegedly secure system which was, obscure to the public, insecure. And that insecurity (along with fear, suprise, ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope), seems to have been a key element of US (and #FiveEyes) surveillance capabilities from the 1950s onward. (I'm aware Crypto AG's role under the CIA begain ~1970.)

But yeah, insecurity by obscurity as an operational norm. Describes much of the present Web as well.

@enkiv2