[kwlug-disc] Theme: You are not paranoid enough

[Mikalai Birukou]

> === Story (meanwhile in Belarus). ===
>
> This spring-summer is a time, when cyber partisans in Belarus are 
> carrying out operation "heat", exfiltrating all of data from KGB, 
> police and agencies of similar ilk. An analogy in USA terms would be 
> OPM hack, plus leak of content from Utah, plus things like DMV, 
> passports, anything relating to populace control and enforcement.
>
> Before going into politics, analysis of passport base gave true 
> numbers about excess mortality. Regime in Belarus didn't introduce 
> lockdown, only citizens pushed as much as possible awareness, going 
> against misinformation and neglect by the regime. And death statistics 
> is a state secret in Belarus (yup). In Canada excess deaths percent is 
> 5% ( 
> https://globalnews.ca/news/7687727/excess-deaths-coronavirus-canada-covid-19/ 
> ), in Belarus it is 25%. So, with all miss-haps here, lockdown(s) did 
> save lives, in absolute terms, more than population of Stratford, ON. 
> Back to politic-related things.
>
> It is cute that everything is recorded. For example, there are 
> recordings from inside agencies about illegal immigrants that have 
> been bubbling in recent months on EU border. We can be sure that 
> Merkel's briefings are filled with these scripts in addition to 
> Latvia/Poland border videos. In more internal to Belarus examples, 
> certain deaths of citizens can no longer be considered accidental. And 
> in general, if anyone needs graphical and story-line illustrations in 
> topic "fascism" there will be plenty of material to choose from.
>
> On a technical note, Belarus has been mostly tapped by SORM. You've 
> heard about SORM as Russia's KGB(FSB) system for tapping everyone, in 
> a spirit of USA's Prism, and similar total-awareness programs.
>
> So, cute/horrific recordings are from SORM, of course.
>
> Partisans also see what is being recorded, cross-referenced. Among 
> vpn, privacy settings, e-hygene, essential tip from partisans for 
> protesters is "don't take smartphone, it leaves too many traces", as 
> people are, quote "killed based on metadata". The system is 
> overreaching, and is chilling.
>
> Snowden's words are indeed true. All that stops an abuse, are the 
> policies that may be different with the different party in power. 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hLjuVyIIrs&t=697s
>
> You don't have to image how abuse of system may unfold, it happens on 
> the display in Belarus, its just that systems in use are called 
> SORM-whatever, but they are based on same current shortcoming of tech. 
> You don't have to imagine. And you are not paranoid enough. 

More operationally, from tips in russian-language video 
https://youtu.be/cpfyMfmGVVc?t=285 , given SORM-whatever capabilities, 
both Viber and Whats App should not be used.