[kictanet] [Skunkworks] Media Misleading Citizens?-One Man Security?

Thu Mar 22 11:10:32 EAT 2012

@Harry,

On this I would like to disagree. Our oversight bodies can (and should)
boost their capacity to understand and guide by including people like
Washington, Walu, McTim and others so that we can have a higher level of
confidence.

I think that is the direction and thrust in which this debate and this
group should be aiming. Engage with government and offer expertise - let us
be part of the solution, or even the entire solution!

Brian

On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 11:01 AM, Harry Delano <harry at comtelsys.co.ke>wrote:

> @Wash,****
>
> ** **
>
> Quite an assessment you got, this..****
>
> ** **
>
> However, thisà “ *I want to believe that whoever is going to be in charge
> of the gadgets is not going to be able to act unilaterally*”, might****
>
> not be practically enforceable by oversight bodies, based on one premise:-
> That they haven’t got any scant idea whatsoever on how  the ****
>
> underlying technology will work. You can expect this to also be treated as
> a national security secret, since hackivists/other rogue elements****
>
> can use such info to strike if placed in the public domain.****
>
> ** **
>
> I suppose, what we might need is to learn what the yet-to-be-delivered
> “Great Firewall” can do and not do. For instance, if it’s capabilities****
>
> among others comprise ability to shutdown internet, censorship, or other
> such loopholes as industrial(read business), political espionage,****
>
> then we have need to sound out/lobby (law makers perhaps), to toughen up
> laws against such blatant abuse..****
>
> ** **
>
> Regards,****
>
> Harry****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke[mailto:
> kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf
> Of *Odhiambo Washington
> *Sent:* Thursday, March 22, 2012 10:26 AM
> *To:* harry at comtelsys.co.ke
>
> *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
> *Subject:* Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] Media Misleading Citizens?-One Man
> Security?****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> On Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 18:49, Walubengo J <jwalu at yahoo.com> wrote:****
>
> --- On *Wed, 3/21/12, Moses Muya <mouzmuyer at gmail.com>* wrote
> >snip
> The only question that comes to mind is whether the Government has the
> right legal backing to do this.
> >snip****
>
> ** **
>
> [snip]
>  ****
>
>
> Lets for a moment imagine that there is legal backing and ALL Operators
> are compelled to install this gadget.  Would we then claim to be
> electronically safer? Research shows that over 75% of electronic
> fraud/crime originates and is executed internally (like within
> Banks/Organisations) and hence putting gadgets at the Operators level
> presupposes the most of the bad guys are comming in from the "outside".
> Fine you may catch the minotrity thugs (25%) but have not impact on the
> majority internal thugs (the 75%...)****
>
>
> @Walu,
>
> We'd be electronically safer, yes. We are sniffing "Internet" and
> "internet" traffic. "Internet" here stands for Kenya<->Worldwide traffic
> while "internet" stands for Kenya<->Kenya (can be via KIXP of just within
> the operators network) traffic. For all intents and purposes, I believe the
> system is not supposed extend beyond those two scenarios, like sniffing
> traffic within a bank's system. You pushed it beyond the mandate of CCK by
> introducing traffic within RFC1918 confines. I believe the gadget applies
> only to those organizations which offer cyberspace based services to the
> public.
>  ****
>
>
> A secondary but equally important point, is what would stop the Director
> General (my good friend Wangusi) to use the very same equipment to block
> internet traffic into and out of  the Kenyan space? Especially if Kenyans
> are trying to do the equivalent of the Arab uprising on
> Twitter/FB/etc...which is likely considering our politics is not really
> improving (but I digress)****
>
>
> This is not an issue. Even before the introduction of the gadget, I
> believe the govt has a way of asking an provider licensed under CCK to shut
> down their services, in the guise of national security, or be forced shut!
> You remember KTN case and the "if you rattle a snake"? God forbid we don't
> have such level of dictatorship in KE.
>  ****
>
>
> Am not purely against security gadgets being installed.  Am against a
> framework that puts one man or woman in charge of these gadgets. Even our
> new constitution puts the Police and Security Intelligence bosses under
> Parliament (210 MPs?)****
>
>
> Let ms also go ahead and say that you seem to have made a great assumption
> on that. It's not possible that only one (wo)man is going to be in charge
> of these gadgets. The security agencies are mostl likely the ones who are
> going to be going over the data collected with a toothcomb and magnifying
> glass, but remember there is a Police Oversight Authority and the
> Parliamentary Committee on Security who hold sway over the security
> agencies... I want to believe that whoever is going to be in charge of the
> gadgets is not going to be able to act unilaterally.
>
>  ****
>
>
> If we are not carefull we may be basically putting Kenya back to the days
> of one-man-show. Remember one broadcasting station - Voice of Kenya?
> remember KPT&C - the days of JamboNet? Same thing here on the offing - if
> we are to believe what has been published in the press (and why not, no one
> from CCK has protested as  being misquoted) .****
>
>
> Hehe... I think you presented an Academic paper, Walu. We have a new
> constitution which gives the people a lot more power than Moi ever
> imagined, lest you forget :-)****
>
>
>
> --
> Best regards,
> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
> Nairobi,KE
> +254733744121/+254722743223
> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
> I can't hear you -- I'm using the scrambler.
> Please consider the environment before printing this email. ****
>
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-- 
Brian Munyao Longwe
e-mail: blongwe at gmail.com
cell:  +254715964281
blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com
meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

"Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand
for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything."
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