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

Thu Oct 31 12:48:46 EAT 2013

+1 Sammy

______________________
Mwendwa Kivuva
twitter.com/lordmwesh
google ID | Skype ID: lordmwesh

On 31 October 2013 11:24, Sammy Buruchara <buruchara at me.com> wrote:

> 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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> > interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The
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> > sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth
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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
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> 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.
>
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