Cryptoparty is a global initiative to introduce privacy concepts and free tools to the public. Recently they developed their free handbook, a 390-page pdf that covers all aspects of privacy for web browsing, email, passwords, and encryption for files, disks, IM, and phone calls. Download it free here.
Nobody is going to read that.
I didn’t read it all but started browsing and already found an interesting tidbit: Hotmail does not use TLS/SSL by default.
I did download it, mainly to use as a reference. But I it really isn’t something for general public consumption.
I guess you need to see it as a manual where you only read the interesting bits.
I think my overall point was (tbh what I said was a reaction to the page count), is that the people that are likely to benefit most won’t be interested in reading a 390 page reference material.
BTW, I am not making a criticism of the quality of material itself or its intention.
Edited 2012-11-27 19:04 UTC
Well, I think people who really need this stuff already have it and the ones that don’t need it probably don’t understand it anyway and even more probable won’t ever be aware of this free book.
The ones who do need it and and don’t have it get locked up anyway.
😀
Fair comment.
Fair, free and less than 390 pages!
Can’t you imagine your friends eyes just lighting up in sheer joy as they open the email you sent them with the pdf attached?
This is a text book way on how to win friends & influence people.
In all seriousness though, I do think that internet privacy is kind of similar to securing your house.
There is a short list of sensible things you can protect yourself from the majority of malicious threats. However a genuinely determined individual will probably get through anything you put in their way, if they are sufficiently skilled.
Oh totally. There’s no such thing as a 100% secure system. However the key to security is to make it secure enough that all bar a tiny few cannot gain entry.
Exactly. That’s what this should be: a short list.
Short enough for it to be put into an ugly gif and spread using the most common media used by people who need to know it: Facebook.
people will read it and disseminate what they learn. this is a very good thing and should be applauded even if the content is poo. the effort is excellent
At first I thought “oh great, more negativity from lucas” but then I remembered that I have over 100 tech books, both e-book and hard copy, that I’ve never read cover to cover.
So, umm, yeah, who is going to read the whole thing? I’m definitely grabbing it for my collection though!
To be honest, I’m more inclined to read that than pretty much most pieces of fiction.
All the negative comments here amaze me. If somebody gave you a free Lamborghini, your first words would be “But I wanted a red one!”
Red is a nice color, but I think a Lamborghini should be black. A Ferrari should be red though.
I haven’t seen one negative comment, other than mine on the length and I have already clarified.
Plus I don’t want one ferrari, I want one in each colour of the rainbow thank you very much 😉
That’s just plain evil!
Pssh, unpossible!
…I want a ’69 Dodge Charger RT.
Pfft, Mopar…Give me a ’69 Camaro baby!
Yeah, but it’s not a free Lamborghini, it’s a free self built jalopy from car tuning freaks.
If it was a Lamborghini, it would be highly designed and be a 2 page flyer, and it would have crowds of young girls around it… I can’t imagine crowds of young girls waiting to download this… I can’t imagine crowds of young girls even being aware of it’s existence
Edited 2012-11-28 10:45 UTC
390 pages of IT Security related garbage? Who the hell will read that. Obviously written by some nerd with no concept of marketing appeal.
How about a one page flyer of diagramattic tips and trick – people might actually bother to look at that.
Some people do manage to read actual books, you know the ones without comic pictures in them, I know weird…
In all seriousness, this is a handbook. Seeing some people react to the prospect of perusing a manual like a vampire taking a holy water shower at noon explains soooo much about the current realities of the IT field.
I think I’m going to print it all out on 11×17″ paper and put it in a big ugly red binder. Then try to fit it on the shelf.
Normal people are not going to read this… anything that mentions anything like checksums is only going to be read by nerds, all of whom will know about this kind of stuff if they are interested in it, so who exactly are they aiming this at?
If they want normal people to even think about downloading it they should not use a wiki – it looks shit for presenting books – it reeks of “nerds only”.
And this is an “initiative to introduce privacy concepts and free tools to the public”? 300 pages and this is just the introduction to privacy concepts?
Shakes head…
Edited 2012-11-28 10:47 UTC