‘FREAK’ flaw undermines security for Apple and Google users, researchers discover

www.washingtonpost.com...

Technology companies are scrambling to fix a major security flaw that for more than a decade left users of Apple and Google devices vulnerable to hacking when they visited millions of supposedly secure Web sites, including Whitehouse.gov, NSA.gov and FBI.gov.

I hope the administration understands the full financial impact on the US economy when the entire world begins to distrust American PC and consumer electronics when everyone understands the reach the US intelligence agencies have within our corporations. The flagging sales will become anemic and will pull down the entire service based economy of the US. If that was not the plan all along then I submit there was no well thought out long term plan in this strategy.

originally posted by: machineintelligence
www.washingtonpost.com...

Technology companies are scrambling to fix a major security flaw that for more than a decade left users of Apple and Google devices vulnerable to hacking when they visited millions of supposedly secure Web sites, including Whitehouse.gov, NSA.gov and FBI.gov.

I hope the administration understands the full financial impact on the US economy when the entire world begins to distrust American PC and consumer electronics when everyone understands the reach the US intelligence agencies have within our corporations. The flagging sales will become anemic and will pull down the entire service based economy of the US. If that was not the plan all along then I submit there was no well thought long term plan in this strategy.

We can only hope it will, thus forcing a much needed change.

I mean right now their plan is "treat everyone like a terrorist just to make sure we catch the one in a million that actually is".

Hey I know, why not just arrest everyone and charge them with terrorism, the innocent will go free....

Oh wait, jail sucks, and the poor will get nothing but a pkea bargain....

God this world sucks, if it isn't hell....then what is?

a reply to: johnwick

I can't help but think of the impact this intelligence gathering effort is going to have on all US based communications gear outfits. The corporations enjoy the largess of big government snooping when they are getting paid by those agencies. I wonder how they feel about the deals they made now that is all being laid bare for everyone to see and consider? No US company will break ranks at first and this will set the rest of the tech world a blaze with new business in privacy tech. I see Nokia as most likely to benefit in Europe. I see Samsung and other Korean brands getting hurt because their hardware is so compromised. We might just be entering a new handset war as well as more secure OS being at offer.

originally posted by: machineintelligence
a reply to: johnwick

I can't help but think of the impact this intelligence gathering effort is going to have on all US based communications gear outfits. The corporations enjoy the largess of big government snooping when they are getting paid by those agencies. I wonder how they feel about the deals they made now that is all being laid bare for everyone to see and consider? No US company will break ranks at first and this will set the rest of the tech world a blaze with new business in privacy tech. I see Nokia as most likely to benefit in Europe. I see Samsung and other Korean brands getting hurt because their hardware is so compromised. We might just be entering a new handset war as well as more secure OS being at offer.

There is already a phone out that promises 100% security.

It is big with the rich.

I agree though, security is going to be the next big thing.

a reply to: johnwick

I think you are referring to the Blackphone which runs PrivateOS which is an Android fork with lots of security features and a closed app store of security approved apps. blackphone.ch...