No bites? OK. My computer scientist friend responded with this below
for a follow-up if anyone is convinced Diamond Rose's posts were
borderline mysticism-schizophrenia like Ken wilbur talks about. JR
API = Application Programmer Interface.
The CryptoAPI is a tool for programmers to utilize the software
routines related to cryptography. For example, to assign an encryption
type and key to a message. But many other things too... including the
decryption of messages.
I remember the issue with 40 bit encryption some years ago. The US
government was unable to decipher or break messages of this high of
encryption. So they made it illegal. In particular, so people in other
countries could not use computers to send encrypted information back
and forth. For example, a spy working in the US gets the plans for
some military project and encrypts using 40-bit then sends it to China
or Russia. The US could not detect such things because of the 40 bit
encryption. So they originally made 40 bit encryption illegal.
Now the issue with 40 bit encryption just went away. It suddenly
became a non-issue and no one talked about it anymore. And the reason
is that the US Government now has access to the API and the ability to
get to messages (or copy messages) before the 40 bit encryption is
implemented (or during its implementation). All API's have functions
and routines that can be called to do certain things. One of those
routines is likely a function to copy the message before it is
encrypted. Now it is true MicroSoft could not make these routines and
function public because then everyone could hack the messages. But at
the same time, it is a convenient excuse to keep the public from
knowing that there may be routines (probably is routines) to copy
messages (and even programmable send a copy or store copy for later
send to US covertly) whenever a request to encrypt data occurs.
This is not the only thing to worry about. Let's say you unplug the
microphone in your computer and on your monitor. You're not safe.
Speakers on your computer can be turned into microphones. And
microphones can be turned into speakers (though they are very low
volume). The US government can and does use computers to listen in on
conversations. Even when your computer is turned off or shut down, it
still has power and the US can still listen in on your conversation.
Same with Television sets. The speakers can be used as microphones.
There is a simply way to test this. Plug your speakers into your
microphone jack. And visa versa. The jacks used to be the same though
they may be 'intentionally' different now.
I used to do this all the time. I took my head set from my stereo and
put it over my guitar, so one ear phone was on the front and one on
the back (it was the big clunky kind that had ear phone cups that fit
over the entire ear), then plugged into the microphone jack instead of
the headset jack. I could then play my guitar amplified through my
stereo. I was doing this in the 1970's before computers were even
around. So it has been known for a long time but not really public
knowledge.
And you can bet it is used to listen on folks who disconnect their
microphones. They use the speakers instead. Both the external speakers
and the one built into the box that give you your bells and whistle
sounds with the operating system.
One might think to unplug the computer. And this may give better
protection from such nefariousness. But with internal clocks and
batteries, even unplugging ones computer is no longer a sure way to
keep people from listening in. In this case, the internal battery
might be used to record messages to internal memory and sent out
during boot up the next time the computer is used.
I treat computers as though they are compromised today. Same with the
Internet. Nothing electronic is safe anymore. If you are someone who
wants to do things covertly, one does it the old fa****oned way. Meet
face to face or even via snail mail. Everything electronic or
computerized is compromised.
:^)
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