[kictanet] NSA Tapping into Google & Yahoo Networks? How is Kenya protected?

Thu Oct 31 11:24:31 EAT 2013

Mr. Walubengo,

While not present at the IGF, and without a lot hesitation, I respectfully
disagree with the view you have shared, that was taken at IGF in relation
to securing countries.

While there is a need for international cooperation, National Security at
the end of the day is a matter for individual countries with various
priorities in regard to their security.
This also has an impact in terms of relationships between countries.
Therefore it would be ill-advised to through security concerns to
"International"  where we know exactly what that term refers to.

Whereas the Internet has crossed boundaries, countries still operate
within their borders and laws govern within those borders. The push for
internationalization or globalization has been going on for a while but
that is a subject for another day.

But while each country may not need to build their own email systems ( and
they should) there is a need for countries to develop their own online
applications and security systems instead of depending on those from other
countries for obvious reasons highlighted very well in recent news media.
One would be foolish to continue relying on popular western online
services for example, for a government's Mission Critical communications
and would only blame themselves for consequences of such strategies.

Regards
Sammy Buruchara

On 10/31/13 11:10 AM, "Walubengo J" <jwalu at yahoo.com> wrote:

>@Phares,
>
>this line of thinking was has been explored recently at the IGF and I had
>a different angle to it and I quote:
>
>>>
>Whereas having each economy build its own email, social media and other
>web-based systems may provide national pride and a debatable sense of
>national security, it unfortunately goes towards balkanising the Internet
>along existing national geographic boundaries.
>
>The final effect will be a diminished value for online services. Search
>engines will end up with only a localised or national view of data, as
>opposed to the more international view currently enjoyed by keeping the
>Internet open and global.
>>>>
>
>more 
>@ 
>http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/Lessons-from-the-Global-Internet-G
>overnance-Forum/-/1959700/2051402/-/ouee6l/-/index.html
>
>walu.
>
>--------------------------------------------
>On Thu, 10/31/13, Phares Kariuki <pkariuki at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Subject: Re: [kictanet] NSA Tapping into Google & Yahoo Networks? How is
>Kenya protected?
> To: jwalu at yahoo.com
> Cc: "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
> Date: Thursday, October 31, 2013, 10:09 AM
> 
> I¹ll very selfishly
> advocate for an increased uptake of local cloud services,
> away from the NSA¹s prying eyes, with locally established
> standards of encryption etcŠ
> We¹ve got capable
> universities that can assist in coming up with new
> encryption etc standards for the military &
> government. 
> Interesting article by
> Charles
> ObboŠ. 
>http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/Spy-more-on-your-friends-than-foes/-/
>440808/2053660/-/j8oy4g/-/index.html
>  -- 
> Phares Kariuki
>  From: Ngigi
> Waithaka Ngigi Waithaka
> Reply: Ngigi Waithaka
> ngigi at at.co.ke
> Date: October 31, 2013 at
> 9:12:10 AM
> To: Phares Kariuki pkariuki at gmail.com
> Subject:  [kictanet] NSA
> Tapping into Google & Yahoo Networks? How is Kenya
> protected? 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Listers,
> 
> 
> Just came across this
>http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-infiltrates-link
>s-to-yahoo-google-data-centers-worldwide-snowden-documents-say/2013/10/30/
>e51d661e-4166-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html?hpid=z1
> 
> 
> It looks like Google might have been caught by the NSA
> with
> their pants down since hacking into their Data Transport
> layer
> simply gives up all the secrets that encryption is supposed
> to be
> protecting.
> 
> 
> Now, moving on swiftly to the local setup, I am also
> concerned
> that even as we look to start pushing for National Standards
> of
> Encryption through the PKI project, whether we as a country
> have
> come together to review and see how to protect our countries
> intelligence and data.
> 
> 
> We also know for a fact that the US was busy tapping
> into
> World Leaders phones, and I can bet if there are a few
> presidents
> to be 'tapped' in Africa, ours should be way up on
> that
> ladder!
> 
> 
> However, more worrying would be, how protected are our
> internal networks from such tapping, even from locals? Could
> there
> be a guy who has tapped into Safaricoms internal network and
> is
> busy reading every email, chat that is flying through and
> perhaps
> selling such information to our erstwhile enemies the
> Al-Shabbab?
> 
> 
> I was once very surprised when a personal friend got a
> transcript of all his calls, and chat messages,
> word-for-word for
> the previous past 6 months, dug up from one of the local
> Telcos.
> The ease with which such information was availed appalled me
> as it
> clearly means that the Telcos clearly store all our chats,
> and such
> records in clear text months after we have used them and a
> guy with
> basic SQL knowledge just needs to hack into the network
> (easy) and
> call them up.
> 
> 
> 
> So, as we continue with the PKI project, there are
> really very
> basic things on security of data that we as a nation
> haven't even
> dealt with.
> --
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> 
> Waithaka
> Ngigi
> 
> 
> Chief Executive Officer
> | Alliance
> Technologies | MCK Nairobi
> Synod
> Building
> 
> 
> T +
> 254 (0)
> 20 2333 471 |Office
> Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M +
> 254 737 811 000
> 
> 
> 
> www.at.co.ke
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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>for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and
>development.
>
>KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and
>bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect
>privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.