Advice on protecting your data and your rights from **AA

[IainB]

Very good advice re use of full-disc encryption, open (insecure) wi-fi, etc. from falkvinge.net
What to do if prosecuted for sharing culture - stfu

[nudone]

Important information (also on falkvinge.net) for anyone in the UK using encryption, or NOT even using encryption: http://falkvinge.net/2012/07/12/in-the-uk-you-will-go-to-jail-not-just-for-encryption-but-for-astronomical-noise-too/

In summary, if you're in the UK and have "random" noise files on your system (which could be an encrypted volume or a genuine file containing random data) you could receive a minimum of 2 years prison sentence - simply because you can't provide the (nonexistent) key to decrypt the random data file.

Welcome to the UK, where we are all guilty until proven innocent. Nice.

[Renegade]

Very good advice re use of full-disc encryption, open (insecure) wi-fi, etc. from falkvinge.net
What to do if prosecuted for sharing culture - stfu

Please, anyone, feel free to scream on my behalf.

Important information (also on falkvinge.net) for anyone in the UK using encryption, or NOT even using encryption: http://falkvinge.net/2012/07/12/in-the-uk-you-will-go-to-jail-not-just-for-encryption-but-for-astronomical-noise-too/

In summary, if you're in the UK and have "random" noise files on your system (which could be an encrypted volume or a genuine file containing random data) you could receive a minimum of 2 years prison sentence - simply because you can't provide the (nonexistent) key to decrypt the random data file.

Welcome to the UK, where we are all guilty until proven innocent. Nice.

Please, anyone, feel free to scream on my behalf. Again.

Here's an interesting case:

[attach=#]

Now, I've copied the contents of one of the above posts into a text file, and encrypted it with a single word. The encryption is ZIP encryption.

According to the law, anyone in the UK that downloads it could go to prison for merely having it and not being able to open it.

But... I (almost) told you what was in the file, and it's ZIP encrypted, which is defeated when you know the contents of 1 file in an archive. Also, being a single word, a dictionary attack would crack it very quickly.

I wonder if the law has any requirement for the thugs/criminals/government to attempt to get the file contents before charging someone who cannot provide the password/key?

This is completely so bizarre...

I just want to scream.