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Mandatory Keyloggers in Mumbai's Cyber Cafes
Posted by
kdawson
on Sun Sep 09, 2007 09:16 PM
from the just-don't-press-any-keys dept.
from the just-don't-press-any-keys dept.
YIAAL writes "Indian journalist Amit Varma reports that Mumbai's police are requiring the city's 500 Internet cafes to install keystroke loggers, which will capture every keystroke by users and turn that information over to the government — nearly in realtime by the sound of it. Buy things online, and the underpaid Indian police will have your credit card number. 'Will these end up getting sold in a black market somewhere? Not unlikely.'"
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Mumbai Police To Enforce Wi-Fi Security 134 comments
caffeinemessiah writes "In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, the local police are going to be sniffing out unsecured wi-fi access points and ordering the owners to secure them. The article notes that 'terror mails were sent through unsecured Wi-Fi connections' before bomb blasts in other Indian cities. No word on if they'll be walking around using Kismet, or if people who use pathetically weak WEP encryption will be ordered to switch to more advanced protocols. Unfortunately, a gesture like this does not take into account the insidious scenario of walking into a cafe, buying a coffee and then (legally) using the cafe's wi-fi. Or the fact that terrorists might actually be able to pay to use a cybercafe, and know what VPNs are."
On the other hand, the Mumbai police may still be keeping track of the mandatory keyloggers that went into the area's cybercafes in 2007.
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In other words... (Score:3, Funny)
Fiddle the cursor (Score:5, Interesting)
And if you're being a political rabble rouser you can type "Bush is a wally" so that it looks like "wish us a Bally".
Parent
Re:Fiddle the cursor (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Fiddle the cursor (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't you think that the group that works hardest to evade inspection is the group you most want to inspect?
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Seriously, as an Indian - this is not Orwellian as it might appear. Just a case of some bureaucratic nut who just discovered key loggers coming up with these impractical ideas.
"Never, never blame anything on a conspiracy that can be explained by incompetence."
It's Time For A Global Revolution (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:It's Time For A Global Revolution (Score:5, Interesting)
Violent revolutions should only be reserved for "last resort" - there absolutely is no other choice[1]. Given that India is a democracy, they have a choice, and if you don't like the candidates, get others to stand for election then.
That's why Karl Marx was either an idiot or an evil person because he recommended violence as normal standard procedure.
[1] Even if you're already stuck in a dictatorship, sometimes it's just better to wait till the next generation takes over. See China - things actually got better and most steps after Mao's time, whereas if you had another violent revolution, you'd probably get another Mao in charge.
Violent revolutions are like playing russian roulette with 5 out of 6 bullets loaded in your revolver. You're hoping you get a benevolent dictator who'd set things up properly then peacefully and orderly hand over power to the citizens. This does happen sometimes, but never bet on it.
Would you give up 1 billion dollars if you found it in your bank account due to someone _else_ doing illegal stuff AND you know you can get away with it due to some loophole? There are a few people who'd say "sure, because it is just wrong to keep it". The Dictators you'd want are an even smaller _subset_ of those people (you need them to be competent dictators as well
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
>Violent revolutions should only be reserved for "last resort" - there absolutely is no other choice.
So the colonies should have bit the bullet and waited for the next king to come around?
Re:It's Time For A Global Revolution (Score:5, Insightful)
The American Revolution had some very unique circumstances that don't typically exist in most revolutions.
That isn't to say that people facing an oppressive government shouldn't overthrow the government... but most revolutions won't have the very specific advantages that the United States had in its revolution. The United States got VERY VERY VERY lucky with the circumstances of its revolution.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
If it doth prosper, none dare call it treason.
Because one might add (Score:5, Interesting)
As was noted: History is full of revolutions that do not end in a nice, happy government. They usually promise that, and sometimes the revolutionaries themselves really are idealists with good intentions, but power corrupts. Have a look at Zimbabwe some time and tell me how well that revolution went.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The way I see it, and from what I've seen through history, violent revolution is inevitable. No government is perfectly stable, and eventually all will fall. I see revolutions as a natural part of a cycle - birth, rise, rule, and collapse of an empire/government/civilization, only to begin anew again. Some countries unfortunately are stuck in a perpetual loop of revolution, which is sad, but that being said I do not think revolutions in general are avoidable. This is not to say I *condone* violent revolutio
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
The way I see it, and from what I've seen through history, violent revolution is inevitable.
Really? You the last time my country had a real violent revolution was in 1066 when we were invaded by the Normans (if that counts as a revolution), since then governments have come and gone, political parties have been founded and disbanded. Our system of government has changed from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy, we gained an empire and then lost it.
We even tried to have a revolution, but it was more of a civil war, and despite the king getting his head cut off, we decided that a mo
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
"The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by
the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win."
While I am indeed an idiot, I can still read and understand what "forcible overthrow" means and implies (especially given the context).
"ge
lets go after the innocent (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:lets go after the innocent (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:lets go after the innocent (Score:5, Interesting)
Using something like Password Safe (http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net) on a USB key would be helpful, as it gives you the option to copy individual usernames & passwords without even viewing them.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course this is ridiculous because the only people that will be effected by it are innocent people. Criminals and (gasp) terrorists will simply find other ways of communicating. The cafe owners will lose business, and innocent folks will suffer a completely useless invasion of privacy so the government can say they are doing something without actually doing something that makes any difference.
At least in India, the authorities have the courtesy to tell you they're logging your keys.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
As the first thing that pops into my mind is
"I'm in Ur computer loggin Ur keys"
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
"I'm in Ur computer loggin Ur keys"
This is what happens when you visit "that other place" too often.
good thing (Score:2)
Just like home (Score:2)
The issue comes up again... (Score:2, Interesting)
Working around key loggers (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Working around key loggers (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:Working around key loggers (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Excellent news! (Score:5, Funny)
Why not trust the government? (Score:2)
sniffing for keystrokes? (Score:2)
Actually you could use some kind of olfactory sensor and at least be able to tell which keys were hit with the left and right hands...
I'll expect to see ... (Score:3, Insightful)
... keyboards drawn on the screen under each input field, with Javascript to tie clicks by the mouse pointer on the keys in that keyboard image so the characters are inserted into the appropriate field.
Another option where Javascript can't be used is to create a printed character array that has all the characters. Use the mouse to copy and paste characters one at a time between there and the input field.
All this will be done through HTTPS, of course. Next come the mandatory rootkits. Then patrons bringing in their own Ubuntu or Knoppix disks.
Personal Computer or Public Computer (Score:2)
1) Are cafe computers considered public computers, because they are physically in public, or because the government owns them?
2) Does my laptop become a public computer, if I carry it to Starbucks, thus transfering ownership to Big Brother?
3) Who in Inida wishes they had a 4th Amendment [wikipedia.org] in writing?
Re: (Score:2)
Who in America wishes they had a 4th Amendment in practice?
Opportunity (Score:2)
2) market to users of cybercafes
3) PROFIT!
Oh crap, they'd probably prohibit the use of USB drives, CDs, etc. Oh well.
Re: (Score:2)
Of course, that proxy would then need a way to 'paste' passwords into other sites as well.
Re: (Score:2)
Hey hang on, exactly how much do you expect to make when your market consists of "that portion of India that can't afford their own personal computer"?
As a Mumbaian national, let me be fhe first to say (Score:5, Funny)
what is the problem? (Score:3, Insightful)
You can't trust any random computer you sit down at.
One word solution! (Score:5, Interesting)
Insert Knoppix in the drive and reboot the PC before you do anything. I bet it would work at most Cafe's.
Indian Police are getting smarter (Score:3, Informative)
These days the police in India are technology savvy and most serious crime cases are solved quickly within days. This is possible because criminals use technology like mobile phones and internet to plan and coordinate. For the most part people are thankful for all this - a few years ago it was looking like criminals were smarter than most people.
India had a law named Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) that had draconian provisions and was repealed by the current government. Right now there isn't any law in India to arrest people on the basis of suspicion alone. The police need solid evidence to book people under regular laws.
Hoax? (Score:5, Interesting)
http://www.google.com/search?as_q=Mumbai+Police+k
http://www.google.com/search?q=Mumbai+Police+keys
reveals no reliable mainstream media source for this allegation. The only one I could find was this article from mid-day:
http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2007/august/1631
For those who don't know, "Mid-Day" is basically Mumbai's version of the National Enquirer, rants on about conspiracy theories and local celebrity gossip, hardly a reliable source. All the blog entries about this are based on this one mid-day article.
Of course, it could mean that I'm not searching correctly. I'd appreciate it if somebody posted any (and I mean any) information from any mainstream media outlet (and not dubious blogs). Until then, I remain skeptical and maintain that this is probably a hoax circulated by some sub-par journalist as a means to get fame, and the "Outsource victims" moaning on slashdot lapped it up swiftly, of course...
Keep in mind that the Indian media is dangerously moonbatty and very anti-establishment (borderline third-world paranoid anarchist actually). Therefore if this actually happened then the media would pounce upon it like a pack of hungry wolves. They haven't
Has slashdot been trolled, again?
hmm... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:To those that buy online on a public computer.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Many people in what we call "developing nations" do not have personal computers, and use computers in cyber cafes instead. This includes even computer-savvy people. Still a bad idea to buy online, in my opinion, but it transfers the onus of privacy from a cafe owner who you look in the face to some guy in an office somewhere. And as CounterStrike has taught us, it's a lot easier to be a fuckwad to people you can't see or hear.
Parent
Damn Liberal whiners (Score:5, Funny)
It's the duty of every good conservative to have blind faith in government. Government derives it's power from the wealthy, and as every good conservative knows, God tells us the wealthy are better people (that's why they have money). So if you are against the government... ANY government (especially a good conservative dictatorship), you are just a terrorist.
Parent
Re:Damn Liberal whiners (Score:4, Funny)
I find your ideas interesting and would like to subscribe to your newslet... wait, scratch that, I'll just watch TV.
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
I'm sorry sir, you're just not slashdot material. Not reading the articles is somewhat more than formality. It's REQUIRED. Please leave and come back when you forget how to read.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The Indian Constitution protects the Fundamental rights of people far more zealously than the US does. Freedom of Speech is certainly important. However, in a developing country with large volume of poor and exploitable people, the fundamental rights that the Constitution of India does guarantee ie:
1.Right to equality
2.Right to freedom
3.Right against exploitation
4.Right to freedom of religion
5.Cultural and educational rights