Barton Gellman 31 Out Of This World Quotes — Quotes OF Quote

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7 min readFeb 26, 2023

The Patriot Act unleashed the FBI to search your email, travel and credit records without even a suspicion of wrongdoing.
— Barton Gellman

I learned the technology and tradecraft of electronic security in self defense, with a lot of expert help.
— Barton Gellman

As Trotsky didn't exactly say, you may not be interested in electronic snoops, but snoops are interested in you, whether or not you keep Coke's secret recipe on your iPhone.

As Trotsky didn’t exactly say, you may not be interested in electronic snoops, but snoops are interested in you, whether or not you keep Coke’s secret recipe on your iPhone.
— Barton Gellman

Friend of mine, a smart journalist, had his iPad stolen. He couldn't help that - the thief broke into his house. But his private, personal data wasn't stolen, exactly. Donated, more like. He had no passcode set on the iPad.

Friend of mine, a smart journalist, had his iPad stolen. He couldn’t help that — the thief broke into his house. But his private, personal data wasn’t stolen, exactly. Donated, more like. He had no passcode set on the iPad.
— Barton Gellman

A minimum precaution: keep your anti-malware protections up to date, and install security updates for all your software as soon as they arrive.

A minimum precaution: keep your anti-malware protections up to date, and install security updates for all your software as soon as they arrive.
— Barton Gellman

It no longer counts as remarkable that Egyptians organized their uprising on social media.

It no longer counts as remarkable that Egyptians organized their uprising on social media.
— Barton Gellman

Activists and geeks, standing together, are demonstrating powers beyond the reach of government control.

Activists and geeks, standing together, are demonstrating powers beyond the reach of government control.
— Barton Gellman

Federal prosecutors want to indict Julian Assange for making public a great many classified documents.

Federal prosecutors want to indict Julian Assange for making public a great many classified documents.
— Barton Gellman

The Obama administration, like those before it, promotes a disturbingly narrow interpretation of the Fourth Amendment, misapplying the facts of old analog cases to a radically different digital world.

The Obama administration, like those before it, promotes a disturbingly narrow interpretation of the Fourth Amendment, misapplying the facts of old analog cases to a radically different digital world.
— Barton Gellman

Companies that receive government information demands have to obey the law, but they often have room for maneuver. They scarcely ever use it.

Companies that receive government information demands have to obey the law, but they often have room for maneuver. They scarcely ever use it.
— Barton Gellman

We know what's in our Cheerios and in our retirement accounts because the law requires disclosure.

We know what’s in our Cheerios and in our retirement accounts because the law requires disclosure.
— Barton Gellman

Dell fills its computers with crapware, collecting fees from McAfee and other vendors to pre-install 'trial' versions.

Dell fills its computers with crapware, collecting fees from McAfee and other vendors to pre-install ‘trial’ versions.
— Barton Gellman

Given the volume of PC sales and the way McAfee runs its operation, I imagine there must be thousands of phantom subscribers - folks who signed up once upon a time and left the software behind two or three computers ago.

Given the volume of PC sales and the way McAfee runs its operation, I imagine there must be thousands of phantom subscribers — folks who signed up once upon a time and left the software behind two or three computers ago.
— Barton Gellman

I do read licenses, and they aggravate me, but a computer isn't much good without software. When I need a product, I hold my nose and click 'agree.'

I do read licenses, and they aggravate me, but a computer isn’t much good without software. When I need a product, I hold my nose and click ‘agree.’
— Barton Gellman

It turns out that American Express honors recurring payments even if the vendor is unable to supply an accurate card number and expiration date. An Amex phone representative said this is a feature, not a bug, which makes sure my bills are paid.

It turns out that American Express honors recurring payments even if the vendor is unable to supply an accurate card number and expiration date. An Amex phone representative said this is a feature, not a bug, which makes sure my bills are paid.
— Barton Gellman

One common puzzle for the security-minded is how to work with confidential data on the road. Sometimes you can't bring your laptop, or don't want to. But working on somebody else's machine exposes you to malware and leaves behind all kinds of electronic trails.

One common puzzle for the security-minded is how to work with confidential data on the road. Sometimes you can’t bring your laptop, or don’t want to. But working on somebody else’s machine exposes you to malware and leaves behind all kinds of electronic trails.
— Barton Gellman

The IronClad is faster than most thumb drives but far slower than a standard hard drive. Boot up, application launch and other Windows operations feel sluggish, though still usable.

The IronClad is faster than most thumb drives but far slower than a standard hard drive. Boot up, application launch and other Windows operations feel sluggish, though still usable.
— Barton Gellman

'Social engineering,' the fancy term for tricking you into giving away your digital secrets, is at least as great a threat as spooky technology.

‘Social engineering,’ the fancy term for tricking you into giving away your digital secrets, is at least as great a threat as spooky technology.
— Barton Gellman

I don't say I never use Facebook, but I often think about closing my account.

I don’t say I never use Facebook, but I often think about closing my account.
— Barton Gellman

On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance orders that they believed to be illegal.

On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department’s top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance orders that they believed to be illegal.
— Barton Gellman

When the 'New York Times' revealed the warrantless surveillance of voice calls, in December 2005, the telephone companies got nervous.

When the ‘New York Times’ revealed the warrantless surveillance of voice calls, in December 2005, the telephone companies got nervous.
— Barton Gellman

In the urgent aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, with more attacks thought to be imminent, analysts wanted to use 'contact chaining' techniques to build what the NSA describes as network graphs of people who represented potential threats.

In the urgent aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, with more attacks thought to be imminent, analysts wanted to use ‘contact chaining’ techniques to build what the NSA describes as network graphs of people who represented potential threats.
— Barton Gellman

The first time I set out to find George F. Kennan, in 1982, I had just turned 21, begun my final semester at Princeton University and noticed with astonishment that the senior thesis deadline had crept to within four months.

The first time I set out to find George F. Kennan, in 1982, I had just turned 21, begun my final semester at Princeton University and noticed with astonishment that the senior thesis deadline had crept to within four months.
— Barton Gellman

Enclosed by a sand berm four miles around and 160 feet high, the Baghdad Nuclear Research Facility entombs what remains of reactors bombed by Israel in 1981 and the United States in 1991. It has stored industrial and medical wastes, along with spent reactor fuel.

Enclosed by a sand berm four miles around and 160 feet high, the Baghdad Nuclear Research Facility entombs what remains of reactors bombed by Israel in 1981 and the United States in 1991. It has stored industrial and medical wastes, along with spent reactor fuel.
— Barton Gellman

At the height of Iraq's clandestine nuclear weapons program, which nearly succeeded in building a bomb in 1991, Tuwaitha incorporated research reactors, uranium mining and enrichment facilities, chemical engineering plants and an explosives fabrication center to build the device that detonates a nuclear core.

At the height of Iraq’s clandestine nuclear weapons program, which nearly succeeded in building a bomb in 1991, Tuwaitha incorporated research reactors, uranium mining and enrichment facilities, chemical engineering plants and an explosives fabrication center to build the device that detonates a nuclear core.
— Barton Gellman

Iraq has the most extensive petrochemical industry in the Middle East and a wealth of vaccine factories, single-cell protein research labs, medical and veterinary manufacturing centers and water treatment plants.

Iraq has the most extensive petrochemical industry in the Middle East and a wealth of vaccine factories, single-cell protein research labs, medical and veterinary manufacturing centers and water treatment plants.
— Barton Gellman

Leaders at the top of al Qaeda's hierarchy, the evidence shows, completed plans and obtained the materials required to manufacture two biological toxins - botulinum and salmonella - and the chemical poison cyanide.

Leaders at the top of al Qaeda’s hierarchy, the evidence shows, completed plans and obtained the materials required to manufacture two biological toxins — botulinum and salmonella — and the chemical poison cyanide.
— Barton Gellman

The gravest risks from al Qaeda combine its affinity for big targets and its announced desire for weapons of mass destruction.

The gravest risks from al Qaeda combine its affinity for big targets and its announced desire for weapons of mass destruction.
— Barton Gellman

Among all the upheavals of war with al Qaeda, the surest indicator of the historic stakes is the ongoing rotation of top U.S. government managers - scores at a time - into a bunker deep underground and far from Washington.

Among all the upheavals of war with al Qaeda, the surest indicator of the historic stakes is the ongoing rotation of top U.S. government managers — scores at a time — into a bunker deep underground and far from Washington.
— Barton Gellman

Governors normally have jurisdiction over public health emergencies, but a widespread biological attack would cross state boundaries.

Governors normally have jurisdiction over public health emergencies, but a widespread biological attack would cross state boundaries.
— Barton Gellman

The United States, a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, destroyed the last of its stocks of VX and other chemical agents on the Johnston Atoll, 825 miles southwest of Hawaii, in November 2000.

The United States, a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, destroyed the last of its stocks of VX and other chemical agents on the Johnston Atoll, 825 miles southwest of Hawaii, in November 2000.
— Barton Gellman

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Barton Gellman 31 Out Of This World Quotes — Quotes OF Quote

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