How to stop gov't from reading your mail

[ElvenSoul]

Just picked up this little tip from my nephew.

Type you message into a pic so the gov't scanners don't read it. 99% of most text filters will miss the message in JPG Format. Never thought about this one before

[JDay]

Better idea, use encryption.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/WISeS...ranoid_id20686

ETA: If you think there isn't software that can pull text out of an image you are sadly mistaken.

[ElvenSoul]

I would think encryption would bring unwanted attention.

[JDay]

Originally Posted by ElvenSoul

I would think encryption would bring unwanted attention.

You should take off your tinfoil hat. For one thing encryption is perfectly legal and for another I doubt your text messages are all that interesting. The only reason you should be worried is if you have reason to believe the government is after you (i.e. involvement in criminal activities). And your cellular provider keeps copies of all your text messages already, including any pictures/video/audio you send over MMS.

[balzak]

Encryption is the way to go.

The government hates encryption because when it's done right, they are powerless to spy on you: http://www.extremetech.com/computing...ligence-agency

Also, simply using encryption and/or private secure communication methods doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. It's hard to be too careful these days.

[Bolillo]

Originally Posted by ElvenSoul

Just picked up this little tip from my nephew.

Type you message into a pic so the gov't scanners don't read it. 99% of most text filters will miss the message in JPG Format. Never thought about this one before

Depending on the ISP's mail server policies, pure picture emails may get filtered as spam.

Email spammers have been pulling the text as a picture stunt for a while now. It started as a way to get around heuristic spam text filters (p3n1s, V1agr4...etc).

Newer spam filtering now looks at email with mostly an image and no text as likely spam.

[dotalchemy]

Plus, OCR technology has been around since the invention of eyes.



Hah! See what I did there?

[Turo]

Originally Posted by JDay

You should take off your tinfoil hat. For one thing encryption is perfectly legal and for another I doubt your text messages are all that interesting. The only reason you should be worried is if you have reason to believe the government is after you (i.e. involvement in criminal activities). And your cellular provider keeps copies of all your text messages already, including any pictures/video/audio you send over MMS.

The bigger providers only keep text message records for as little as 2 days before deleting them. Some of the smaller providers might keep them for up to 2 weeks, but after that they get deleted.

[Lancear15]

Paranoid much?

[choprzrul]

Steganography is what you are talking about. Here is a short bit from Wikipedia on it:

Steganography is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no one, apart from the sender and intended recipient, suspects the existence of the message, a form of security through obscurity. The word steganography is of Greek origin and means "concealed writing" from the Greek words steganos (στεγανός) meaning "covered or protected", and graphei (γραφή) meaning "writing". The first recorded use of the term was in 1499 by Johannes Trithemius in his Steganographia, a treatise on cryptography and steganography disguised as a book on magic. Generally, messages will appear to be something else: images, articles, shopping lists, or some other covertext and, classically, the hidden message may be in invisible ink between the visible lines of a private letter.

The advantage of steganography, over cryptography alone, is that messages do not attract attention to themselves. Plainly visible encrypted messages—no matter how unbreakable—will arouse suspicion, and may in themselves be incriminating in countries where encryption is illegal.[1] Therefore, whereas cryptography protects the contents of a message, steganography can be said to protect both messages and communicating parties.

Steganography includes the concealment of information within computer files. In digital steganography, electronic communications may include steganographic coding inside of a transport layer, such as a document file, image file, program or protocol. Media files are ideal for steganographic transmission because of their large size. As a simple example, a sender might start with an innocuous image file and adjust the color of every 100th pixel to correspond to a letter in the alphabet, a change so subtle that someone not specifically looking for it is unlikely to notice it.

You want to be very careful about using this type of hidden encryption. It is a known transmission method for child pornography. The email itself might not bring attention so much as the fact that you are using this method will attract attention.

If you are in a business sector that requires secure communications, consider a PGP Universal Gateway Email server. While not cheap, it will allow you to control communications between your office and your associates, affiliates, partners, and customers.

If you are more of a home user and want to communicate securily via email, consider the OpenPGP desktop solution. Both ends of the communication will need to be on board, but it is easily done.

Hope this helps some.

.

[ibanezfoo]

Or use private "rogue" wireless networks and private servers...

BBSs will rise again!