Why does Bitcoin support terrorists?

[berkeman]

WTH?

 

[rootone]

Bitcoin isn't a person, why does the moon support terrorists?

 

[jedishrfu]

It's the decentralized and anonymous nature of bitcoin exchange that allows it to flourish as terrorist currency.

https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/12/5893705/two-men-and-their-quest-to-make-bitcoin-truly-untraceable

It's like "pay as you go" cell phones. You buy them with cash and discard when done. Aka burner phones. And virtually untraceable.

 

[stoomart]

WTH?

The bitcoin network supports terrorists the same way cash supports prostitutes and credit cards support shopping addicts; they are just different mediums for currency exchange.

 

[berkeman]

But without untraceable electronic currency, the ransomware attacks could not work, right?

 

[jedishrfu]

I think that's right but there were other methods in use before that for general ransom demands. I think the combination of infections and bitcoin have produced a more toxic environment though. The only good that will come of it is that either bitcoin goes more mainstream with traceability, computers become better isolated or that anonymity is removed from the internet..

All of these are really hard problems and since they utilize software can and will be hacked so we are in an ever escalating war that will result in the end of the internet for something better totally secure and slow as can be.

 

[jedishrfu]

I posted an article here on the latest ransomware:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/june-2017-petya-ransomware-virus-hits-ukraine.918814/

The latest on this one is that the Email provider has suspended the account of the bad guys meaning no one will get their decryption keys. There's going to be an awful lot of angry people looking for these bozos.

 

[Kaura]

Blaming Bitcoin for the recent random-ware attacks is like blaming Cryptography. Yeah it can be used from some pretty shady stuff but it is designed under a greater overarching purpose.

 

[jack action]

But without untraceable electronic currency, the ransomware attacks could not work, right?

Yeah, and nothing wrong ever happened with big brother being able to follow all of its citizens ...

What is the big deal with this ransomware non-sense anyway?

What is the difference between having your data encrypted, lost forever, vs having your hard drive die on you - making your data lost forever? You should be prepared for this eventuality with proper back-up. It's not fun and it is an annoyance, but it shouldn't be a «problem». It is probable that some individuals will not be prepared and lose some family photos, but a half-serious company or institution without back-ups of their precious data? In such a case, the problem is not the hackers, whether being bored teens or terrorists.

Having the media coverage to remind us of the importance of back-ups: Good.
Having the media coverage to feed fear by asking «What do governments do to protect us?»: Bad.

 

[berkeman]

I think it's more than just backing up our data, Jack. The whole PC is locked by the hackers, which means tens of thousands of dollars of application software (locked to that PC's ID number) is lost too. If I lose my work PC to hackers, the data is already backed up, but there is probably about $100,000 of software installed and locked to my PC. Are you willing to reimburse me for that for your anonymous freedom?

(side note -- I respect your technical posts a lot)

 

[jack action]

I think it's more than just backing up our data, Jack. The whole PC is locked by the hackers, which means tens of thousands of dollars of application software (locked to that PC's ID number) is lost too. If I lose my work PC to hackers, the data is already backed up, but there is probably about $100,000 of software installed and locked to my PC. Are you willing to reimburse me for that for your anonymous freedom?

So if your hard drive busts or your computer is lost in a fire or stolen, you lose a $100,000? If so, isn't there insurance for such loss?

[And my anonymous freedom is priceless. ]

 

[rootone]

I had a serious fright (and fight) with ransomware this week.
Narrowly escaped by several times doing a hard power off and increasingly dosing the PC with a variety of malware removal tools.
In the end though I agree with Jack's central point, I should not be lazy about backups, a physical hard disk crash would result in essentially the same problem.

 

[berkeman]

So if your hard drive busts or your computer is lost in a fire or stolen, you lose a $100,000?

Pretty much. If I'm migrating to a new PC, I can uninstall the software packages from it and re-install them on the new PC. Otherwise, toast.

EDIT -- And $100,000 may have been a bit of an exaggeration, it's more like $15,000 on my current PC.

 

[jack action]

Pretty much. If I'm migrating to a new PC, I can uninstall the software packages from it and re-install them on the new PC. Otherwise, toast.

What kind of programs do you have that have such restrictive terms? Here are some license agreements I found with a quick search:

MathLab Individual License:

The products are used by a single named user. The products can be activated on up to four different computers, provided that the products are only accessible to and used by that single named user. A named user may not use a program on more than two computers simultaneously.

So you can have a (ready-to-use) back-up copy of the program on another computer.

Solidworks License:

DS SolidWorks grants to you a nonexclusive, nontransferable right to use the Offering and the printed and/or electronic user documentation (the "Documentation") accompanying the Offering in accordance with this Agreement. If you have paid the license fee for a single-user license of the Offering, this Agreement permits you to install and use one (1) copy of the Offering on any single computer at any time in the country in which you have your principal place of business [...] If you change computers, you must move the license from the old computer to the new/upgraded computer.

From my understanding, you buy a right to use a copy of the program and not the program files themselves. So if you loose them for some reason, they will give you another copy of the files as long as you respect the original terms (i.e. use 1 copy on a single computer).

 

[russ_watters]

What is the difference between having your data encrypted, lost forever, vs having your hard drive die on you - making your data lost forever?

Uh [*boggle*], one is on purpose - making it a crime - and the other is accidental. What's the difference between a person dying of old age and someone shooting him?

 

[jack action]

Uh [*boggle*], one is on purpose - making it a crime - and the other is accidental. What's the difference between a person dying of old age and someone shooting him?

That is not the point of the statement.

Yes, when a crime (i.e. doing something with bad intentions) is perpetrated, it must be condemned. But if the consequences are the same as what could happen accidentally, you should be prepared and not go in a panic mode.

Actually, I prefer to have my data encrypted and lost forever than having my hard drive died on me (whether I have a back-up or not). The difference? The cost of a new hard drive.

But, yes, the best outcome (by far) is nobody encrypts my data and my hard drive keeps going on as long as I use it.