[–] dijit 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Asymmetric cryptography at level 2 (Basically, replace TCP with something which is inherently, signed and encrypted unlike SSL which is asymetric, but only covers encryption with pre-signed certs..)
A proper method of validating endpoints, open and with increased certainty at cost of latency. (something like; http://convergence.io/)
basically all of this is really slow though.
EDIT: Just realised I answered a question seeking a realistic answer with something hypothetical, sorry!
So, security on the internet is, like all security; layers.
there are many things needed to promote "secure" browsing.
and some others that I can't think of.
the second 2 are handled pretty much by SSL, and, if you really trust your CA chain, then that's really good enough.
the former is much harder, it pretty much mandates use of tor, or an anonymous vpn, but it also mandates particular usage patterns must be halted or changed.
for instance, you cannot have anonymity, reliably, while having a user account on any site.
you cannot use.. for example.. google.. which can profile you based on search terms.
and, it mandates the wiping of your cookies and rotation of your browsers user-agent after every use.
so, anonymity is hard... and time-consuming.. but most internet security is "good enough" for most cases.
there are some resources at your disposal though: https://ssd.eff.org/en/index
and a tool to see "who can snoop" with tor and SSL: https://www.eff.org/pages/tor-and-https
Thank you, this gives me a great deal of insight. I'll read it thoroughly this afternoon, and I'll expand upon my limited knowledge of online protocols.
Your theoretical viewpoints are most welcome. It gives me something to look forward to, as it provides me a point of reference for any new knowledge or software I'll encounter.
[–] SavePrivateRyne 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
I once read an article that I haven't found since that was about software updates and how people say they are like patching a ship that has sprung a leak, but in reality it's like giving you a few more seconds of air while you are drowning. I don't know what we could really do other than program better. Also /u/Wmb102er provided a pretty good start within this thread that I added on to just for some basics.
edit: Here is a link if you are willing to go linux and want a ton of information on the subject.
https://we.riseup.net/assets/238433/Anonymity-and-Privacy-for-Advanced-Linux-Users-beac0n.pdf
[–] Wmb102er 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Building a safe internet generally fails because most users tend to choose convenience over security. A few things can be done though such as promoting https, etc. The second question is a lot easier to answer: Uninstall Flash, now. Get a bunch of security and privacy enhancing browser addons. If you want to go hardcore look into linux, full hd encryption, proxies, etc. If you need help, send me a message.
Damn, that sounds like very few authorities take or want to take the responsibility to educate users. I've been educating myself with step-by-step online resources, but going hardcore is somewhat difficult to achieve. Cutting-edge services and software tend to be buggy and have quite a steep learning curve IMO, but maybe I've got the wrong services and software... Privacytools.io is currently my main resource.
I'd love to know more about Linux, proxies and more. I'll PM you
[–] SavePrivateRyne 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Some recommendations I have going off of that are using firefox, installing https-everywhere, disconnect search, privacy badger, and for the ultimate privacy in linux you can always use tails. A great VPN that I use is privateinternetaccess. Those are just a few ways to get started.
[–] brother_tempus 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
The biggest problem is that the Internet is designed to be inclusive ( sharing ) while the manta of security is to be exclusive ( do not share ).
They are at opposite ends of each other
So someone is either going to have to design a security protocol/system that is inherently inclusive or rewrite the internet to be exclusive.
Thanks, I've already got a hard time deciding what to and what not to share, using privacy-addons on Firefox. Noscript used to be a bitch, but I spent some time to set it up and now it works good.
It's good to remember your explanation, and certainly to find a personal comfort-level with the dichotomy.
[–] Voatify ago
Can someone give a tl;dr? I read a few paragraphs, but didn't get any information worth reading.
As far as I know, the Internet has never been more safe and is growing safer for every day.
[–] Sire [S] ago (edited ago)
TL;DR 7 hackers (Lopht-group) told senators in 1998 computers were not safe, and a major overhaul was necessary. They didn't listen. Now the same security issues arise time and time again, in a tech world culture of "patch and pray".
[–] Voatify 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
What parts of the Internet did l0pht warn about being insecure? Are these the same parts that are still insecure/getting less secure? The most insecure parts of the Internet require massive resources to attack, and even those have been steadily improved for years and years, I don't see how anything relevant in 1998 will still be a problem unless the ones you're afraid of are core Internet players like the USA or one of the major Internet DNS players.