The rise and rise of data encryption for everyone

Years ago, I came across stories of a government-backed scheme to monitor communications traffic. This project was established by the USA, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand governments (“FiveEyes”) to monitor phone calls, faxes, emails, etc, on a worldwide basis. “Ah”, you might say, “I’ve read about the NSA monitoring in the recent news”. I’m not talking about that, I’m describing Project ECHELON, which was set up in the 1960s as part of the Cold War.

By the end of the 20th century, this system had evolved beyond its military and diplomatic origins to become "a global system for the interception of private and commercial communications" (according to a European Parliamentary report). In 2001, the EU Committee investigating ECHELON recommended to the European Parliament that EU citizens routinely use encryption in their communications to protect privacy - to counter economic espionage conducted by US intelligence services via ECHELON.

So, when the disclosures by a former NSA contractor began to be revealed by the press in 2013, it was not exactly “new” news - at least to people who knew about ECHELON. Because of the way the disclosures have been made and the major increase in on-line communication during the 21^st century, a huge public debate has started about how governments spy on their citizens and other people worldwide.

Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker, has been called variously: a hero; a patriot; a whistleblower; a traitor; and a dissident. Which moniker applies depends upon your point of view.  Should we expect our emails to be private, or should the government be allowed to check (in secret) for “threats to national security”?

A lot of people believe that, while they have nothing to hide, they have a fundamental right to privacy. In line with the recommendation made back in 2001 by that EU report, many have resorted to using encryption to keep the contents of their online communications private. What exactly does it mean to encrypt email?

If you know your World War 2 history, you will have heard of the Enigma machines used by the German military to keep their communications secret.  Messages were coded via a complicated mechanism, broadcast to the recipient who would use the same type of machine to decode the message. The coding/decoding method changed regularly by means of new “keycodes”. It took the Allied forces a long time, but they eventually managed to break the Enigma coding system and read the secret messages.

The same idea is used today.  An email is passed through encryption software and then the coded message is mailed. The recipient uses a decoding version of the software to decrypt (unscramble) the message and read it. There are several types of encryption, some involving more and more lengthy or complex keycodes. However, as the sophistication of such software has increased, you can be sure that the capabilities of the NSA, GCHQ and other services have also increased, as has the legal backing for their actions.

The Lavabit email service tried to provide secure email by automatically encrypting all email sent through their servers. Lavabit decided to close down in August 2013 after the US Government ordered it to hand over its SSL private key (which opened all email to official scrutiny).

Encryption is being used more widely. You can keep your secrets away from most people. It just makes the security services work a tiny bit harder to read your data if they choose to. You can’t (yet) keeps things secret from THEM.

Getting started with floor sanding

Would you like a DIY project? Have you thought about sanding a floor? Read on!

Wooden flooring is very popular, but not all wooden floors can be sanded. If you have a laminate-type floor, you are out of luck. The surface is only a few millimetres thick and is made of formica, or similar, over chipboard or MDF (medium-density fibreboard). In a building with original floorboards, sanding and lacquering can return them to a fantastic appearance. With a few rugs scattered on the floor, it can be very stylish indeed.

Here are a few tips for getting ready to start on a floor sanding project:

Speak with your neighbours about the work. This is because an electric floor sander is very noisy. You need to let them know when you intend to do the work, ensuring it is in daytime. An average floor can be sanded over a weekend.

Prepare the floor before you sand it!  Ensure the room is empty of furniture if at all possible. Check the condition of the floorboards and fix them up as necessary (replace rotten boards with other old boards; ensure all nail heads are well tapped down, screw down loose boards, fill any gaps with suitable material, and so on).

You will probably need to hire an electric sander (most people don’t own one), but you may not realise you need two, a large sander for most of the floor, and an EDGE sander, which has a smaller head for reaching right up to the skirting boards.

It is important to seal around the door, as it will be closed whilst you sand the floor and you don’t want dust to get into other rooms (if at all possible). Masking tape is useful for sealing the door frame temporarily.  It can help to have any outside window fully open, for ventilation.

It’s also a good idea to wear overalls with a tightly closed neck and straps to seal the arms and legs for the same reason. Dust is SO itchy! You must also wear a mask to protect your eyes and lungs.

Oh, and ensure you have everything you need INSIDE the room before you seal the doorway!

So, how do you actually sand a floor? That is in another article.