Help freedom of press in canada

Is it too risky for them?
A group of journalist (between 5 and 10) would like to published uncensored content on the internet. they have not much money. For the project to be working they would need anonymity and privacy over home,office and Internet networks while using a CMS and a web server.

Do you think there is a way to give them 99.9% protection against retaliation over a long period (+5 year), or else they will lost their job and be sue.

I am evaluating the project maybe you can give me some tips.

they use OS9 OS10, win XP, win 2000 from intranet home and office network.

anonymity strategies:
Freenet and JAP seem to be unreliable.
So are public proxies.


privacy strategies:
Strong encryption.
Camouflage and steganographic.

Thanks for your help.

Interesting. What exactly is they are publishing that would have them "censored"? AFAIK, very little gets censored in Canada with the exception of Neo-Nazi types or other hate websites.

And I'm not sure about your privacy strategies as being indicative of making stuff "private". You can use things like SSH as secure connections (choose higher keys or stronger keys of -- at min -- 2048) and is available on every platformed mentioned above AFAIK.

The website that would disseminate the info could be located out of Canada's juristiction and in a country that wouldn't abide by their requests (many Asian nations have ISPs like this).

As for retaliation, depending on what the information is, "inference" can usually be used to figure out who wrote something (based on writing style, etc.). You make it sound like the Gov't of Canada will kill them, which they wouldn't do unless there was about 27 Parliamentary committees and 34 Senator committees created first along with shuffling of money elsewhere. (scarcastic comment is mine).

Oh yes.. and lastly,

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t is hereby recognized and declared that in Canada there have existed and shall continue to exist without discrimination by reason of race, national origin, colour, religion or sex, the following human rights and fundamental freedoms, namely,

(a) the right of the individual to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property, and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law;

(b) the right of the individual to equality before the law and the protection of the law;

(c) freedom of religion;

(d) freedom of speech;

(e) freedom of assembly and association; and

(f) freedom of the press.

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This is here for a reason. Why aren't the journalists using this?

Yes, I have to agree with MSM.................if child pornographers can survive........so can your lot........unless they have no skills, no male gender parts..........and so on?

MSM......I like that you still spell "colour" correctly :D in the "frozen North"

What "publishing" and "reporting" is it then...............will the "accused" have a right to response?........or are we just talking sedition?

Your call?

**~*~"retaliation"~*~** leaving that to the imagination is not in your best interest. if your really looking for help with this i think you should explain yourself.

WTF:

privacy strategies:
Strong encryption.
Camouflage and steganographic

sounds like they could loose more than their jobs here. just what do you think is protected under freedom of speech/press?

i think before anyone helps this guy you should find out what it is exactly you are helping (being a party to)

(sorry im not as graceful as MsMittens. i fear someone may miss sudelty... sagittarius ya know)

Freedom of press
I don't want to start a philosophical thread but I can tell you what I know about these journalists and why I want to help them.

They work for two BIG newspaper and are well known and respected. They have access to a lot of informations wich are of public interest and very difficult to obtain for you and me, but they are censored by their boss and by law in some cases of no publication order.

They can't publish the news like they think they should and this is why they want a private and anonymous way to publish together over the Internet.

It's not about publishing abused children or molester name, they are professionals and they feel unable to do their jobs in some special cases. They will censor themself trought the publishing group and they want to express themselves, be trusted and read, not sued.

There was to my knowledge many cases of journalists and newspaper being sued by rich people over privacy and reputation related laws in Canada.

Maybe I paranoid but I think child pornographers risk less here that a journalist who tell the true about the role of Paul Martin in the fund's scandal.


The project
Is this possible to make such a system 99.9% efficient for anonimity and privacy from a corporate network?
1. Anonimity and privacy acess to a CMS server for the journalists,
2. Automated anonymous and private upload from the CMS to a public web server.

Keep something in mind: while you view yourself as the good guy we don't know you from a hole in the wall. Social engineering can be very effective if you sound like someone desperate for help. And if you are asking one of us to do this for you -- without knowing the full details and risks of what we might be getting involved in (assuming that it's not a snow job for something else) -- you're asking a lot of us.

I think we've provided you with some suggestions on ways to go. It's up to you to decide as to what you want to do.

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Is this possible to make such a system 99.9% efficient for anonimity and privacy from a corporate network?

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No. They will pick up traffic that the system exists. It would be best, if you are going this route, not to use corporate networks. Could result in "fireable" activities against the AUP set out by the Newspapers' IT team/management.

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1. Anonimity and privacy acess to a CMS server for the journalists,

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Host the server elsewhere and use ssh to access it. By hosting the server elsewhere (especially in nations that they would not be able to gain access to) the newspaper wouldn't have the ability to shut access down to it.

SSH would allow for secure transmittal of information. I would stress here that your friends should probably have mail services not run by the newspaper (use web based accounts that aren't in the US, UK or Canada). Keep in mind that the newspaper probably has full rights/access to their email. Webbased email is done in clear text so if you can find one that supports secure HTTP or some other method that is encrypted that would be the best.

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2. Automated anonymous and private upload from the CMS to a public web server.

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See above.

It's more to have fun and help people wilhe learning about security as an unemployed junior software engineer :cool: Social engineering is a risk I try to mitigate.

Ok, So I think like you that this should be attemp only from home or reliable internet public access places.

here is a plan. what do you think?

Get a free web server in an exotic country.

Journalist have anonymous encrypted email account they use to discuss papers content and layout, sharing css html templates.

Steps

0. Secure the computer
check if it is safe or not (spyware, config ,system setting and running programs)

1. Access the anonymous mail and the public web server as visitor (copy-paste some html to modify).

2. publish
trough a web Hactivissimo 6/4 protocol trusted peer wich upload trough ftp to the web server.
OR
mail the encrypted content anonymously to a proxy server wich would upload to the web server.
OR
Camouflage and steganographic to communicate with a proxy server (say wallpaper server) wich would upload to the web server.

3. Clean the computer
the usual cleaning.

Special care need to be taken in the design and configuration and use of the proxy server.

SSH is a good idea, but how does it help in anoynimity? SSH anonymous proxies seem rare.

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It's more to have fun and help people wilhe learning about security as an unemployed junior software engineer

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I dunno. Doesn't seem to fun if you can't openly say something without risk of legal retaliation or worse (which is what it sounds like). The amount of security you are looking at seems awfully severe and at a level of the NSA. I don't think you and/or your colleagues have the budget for this.

That said, realize that you have let some of the cat out of the bag by the very first post you put here:

• - you've identified that you or your associates are Canadians
  - that you work for two of Canada's national newspapers (Globe and Mail and The National most likely)
  - that this involves those with money (right now, sounds like the whole sponsorship scandal) and/or relates to national security
  - you will probably violate some laws and potentially do further damage
  - you are posting on a website that is located in the US, a country that has been known to help Canada and if this site's owners got a court order would be obliged to turn over your IP, which is recorded (as per the Privacy Policy below).

I can tell you right now, that even if you did all of the suggestions put forth, someone, somewhere, with the pockets and resources deep enough and desire large enough will find you and your associates. There is no such thing, on the internet, as 100% anonymity and/or 100% privacy, IMHO. There is always a way to find out something (right or wrong).

Now on to your list. The first two items are fine. It still strikes me that these is awfully extreme and reminds me of my uncle who was convinced that the Mafia was out to get him because he managed to get a name trademarked before the company that was using it did.

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2. publish
trough a web Hactivissimo 6/4 protocol trusted peer wich upload trough ftp to the web server.
OR
mail the encrypted content anonymously to a proxy server wich would upload to the web server.
OR
Camouflage and steganographic to communicate with a proxy server (say wallpaper server) wich would upload to the web server.

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Why would you do this if you are using SSH? If the material is encrypted on the webserver, how will the general public (I am assuming that these are your targets) will read it? General public is "stupid" and ignorant on security. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you want to do.

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3. Clean the computer
the usual cleaning.

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No. Not the usual cleaning. It's too easy to do the usual. You need to do the extreme. There are tools that can recover, given enough of a budget, anything. Multiple 0 writes along with a few reformats should help minimize this (think extremely paranoid and make no assumptions about the budgets of others if you truly want to do this secretly)

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Special care need to be taken in the design and configuration and use of the proxy server.

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You need someone to set this up, which means they will know and become a security risk (that is, they could turn around and "rat" on you).

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SSH is a good idea, but how does it help in anoynimity? SSH anonymous proxies seem rare.

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SSH is for encryption so no one can sniff the "critical" details. The anonymity can come through "free" wireless access cafes (McDonalds or someone like that). Think wireless and you'll get the idea.

THE PROXY SERVER

I think I can have a 90% with a server wich is moderately easy to get for free. (it is really for a development purpose)

It will run mail and ftp daemon.
It wil receive anonymous encrypted emails with
file content, file information and ftp command.
A script takes the mail, decrypt it and ftp to the free exotic web server.

How better can it get? Can the anymous mail be trace back or is it really anonymous?

I sure doing this for entertainment because I am an unemployed nerd as I said. I evaluate the "project" just for fun and I don't want to get in trouble. They are not my friend and I know only two of them.

I repeat, there is no terrosist and we love Bush and god. I am having fun with anonymity and privacy and freedom of press.

>I repeat, there is no terrosist and we love Bush and god. I am having fun with anonymity and privacy and freedom of press.<

WTF is that

I am Canadian...and I dont love bush....or god for that matter....and I am FREE to say that....so are americans ....at least they used to be before their Patriot Act : )

Well you might look on yourself as a "really nice democratic dogooding knight in shining armour"

I have news for you kiddo..........I do not........if these so called "journalists" have anything to say..............let them say it under the laws of Canada........last time I checked it was still a democracy?

Or should this crew be allowed to make whatever slanderous/libellous/character assassination accusations they like...............without the people they accuse having recourse to remedy and the law? That is what you are implying, because I do not believe that Canada is some sort of third world dictatorship? I believe that if you are accused you have the right to defend yourself........hell, do you seriously think that people on this forum (AO) are so stupid as to believe that all you want to do is help these guys publish the sports results?

In any true democracy the truth is an absolute defence against any libel or slander action..........I guess that still goes for Canada?

If you have any part in this you make yourself a co-conspirator in the eyes of the law..............if I were you I would distance myself from them pronto!

Well that's the way I read it folks

Honestly, I can quite believe that journalists can be censored under threat of a "fate worse than death" and that their employers are willing conspirators.

The real question is "how _important_ is this information and how much money/power do the censors have at their bidding?". That assesses the risk and whether it is worthwhile in the first place. Then comes the issue of the level of power/money. If that is unlimited then you are wasting your time in the first place, period. You will be caught/closed down/dead, take your pick......

Of course, the less their power/money the importance of the information is linearly decreased.

Errrrm..... Forget it..... It isn't worth it. These two are probably all fired up about something they feel is big - it probably won't get them that pulitzer they really want - and if it is that big the pulitzer will look really nice in their coffin with them..... Of course - you won't get a pulitzer 'cos you aren't a journalist - you will be buried alone.... ;)

Face it..... You have no idea what this _information_ is, do you?

Basically, the censorship from the boss is about the subject and the content. You can see this as a collective of journalists who wish to publish content outside the corporate thing on their free time.

They would like to have some sort of real protection but the subject is not about national security issue, its about political cartoon and express themselves. It is not information people would kill for because they are not suicidal. It is information that the newspaper wouldn't publish so I guess I don't have to make anything more that a web server and their lawyers will do the rest.

The fact is that its easy to find and sue anyone who talk about you in bad if you have money, don't matter if you win or lost, it cost a bunch.

Thanks you for your help

mt: So, from what you say it's a bunch of guys who want to make jokes that thier boss won't like.....

It's hardly rocket science and it can easily be worked out by yourself. I'm not inclined to assist because you raised a few "uh-oh" flags with me..... look back through my posting history - I'm a suspicious old fart...... What can I say?

AO combined with google are your friends.... learn to search and then assess your risk. If you learn and the scenario you profess is accurate then you can win easily.... If it isn't "all corrrect" then you can lose easily if you don't learn...... It's back to level of risk and knowledge... You control that.....

Have fun.....

BS...........................total BS

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the censorship from the boss is about the subject and the content

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They are not journalists.................they are tossers................no journalist worthy of the name would work under those conditions?...........you sound like the kind of person that could even attract me into insurance sales...........even if I had to buy my own rubber gloves?

Try "satirical magazines"..............use google?...............look for "private eye" (a UK satirical magazine) or "The Phoenix" (Dublin, Ireland) then you will see what "real" journalists do.

But you only seem to have had one side of the story?...........the one you want to hear?..........the one you want us to hear?

These fifth rate hacks are upset because the boss has told them they are fifth rate?........tell them to come to England with their story and go to the Times/Telegraph/ Guardian?...if they get published, their Canadian careers will be assured?

I doubt if they have anything that the People/News Of The World would touch.............they might get into the Sport

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I rest my case

Maybe I ate too much moose but I don't agree with you, you all said your opinion and in fact it did not helped me much in my technical evaluation.

nihil, even if I could sell you something I would'nt, I am a communist :).

Ethically
I must say I am proud of you. I think it is very important to ask us the meaningful question of why and what they will do with the technology we develop. But it is a promethean world (free man with science?), and you are a part of the evaluation phase so do your best:)

Technically
I don't think the relation between anonymity/privacy effort and detection cash-power is linear (I hope I will find my curve soon).
The anonymous mail-ftp system seem nice and I will come back to you on that subject if you care.

Thanks for all your comment

Forgive my cynicism, but are you actually Canadian? All the Canadians i have met seem to have a handle on basic english and sentence construction.

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Forgive my cynicism, but are you actually Canadian? All the Canadians i have met seem to have a handle on basic english and sentence construction

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Not if he's from a province where French is the main language. Learning english after french can make your english a little odd. And he does trace back to a Canadian Province :)

And if this was to be published in a satirical publication, Frank. When I was in Ottawa and part of the political scene there, I was amazed at how much Frank was able to get away with. It's still doing that today. :D

You got it right Sherlock, I am a french canadian. The province is called Quebec and we won the stanley cups a couple of times :)

Please forgive my bad english syntax and vocabulary. Franks is bookmarked, thanks.

I got a little example of freedom of press related topic in canada this week.

Guy Cloutier (big man here) is being accused of sexual aggression from a women. Radios and Internet are talking about miss Simard has the victim, theres already many sites about that (example ) and it is the big news. It says in www.cyberpresse.ca tha the Sûreté du Quebec (our beloved police) is investigating about the leaches in radios and websites.

Some journalist may get in trouble, mostly because of Cloutier's political and financial power. But I don't care because I know the news now and they should keep their mouse shut up if they don't want trouble.

My evaluation: 100 man/hour to set up a proxy anonymous ftp&mail server could provail some anonimity/privacy if use properly from public access place and home. But there is no way to get 99.9% anonymity/privacy protection. I estimate protection to 80%, traces left by the anonymous mail on the user computer seems to be to biggest threat, because on the proxy side, mail can really be anonymous.

Crap, I accidentally gave greenies.

I know a couple journalists , and regardless of freedom of the press there is pressure albeit subtle and implied , there are many things that are well known in journalist circles that do not make the paper do to who or what they are about. In Canada most of the print media is owned by very few. Even more so than the usa.