Judge Rules FBI Can Hack Your Email (Heres How You Stop Them)By Mark Nestmann, The Nestmann Group Is it Congress crushing every loophole you grasp at for privacy? Thats a nightmare, but there are bigger. Is it the rise of presidential candidates who pledge to dismantle fundamental legal protections? Good guess, but still not there besides, previous occupants of the White House destroyed those already. The biggest threat to your civil liberties are judicial decisions and the actions of unelected bureaucrats. Often, the deep effect of these is unclear for months or even years. One example is a recent decision by federal judge Henry Morgan, Jr. Morgan ruled that Americans have no expectation of privacy in their internet protocol address (IP address), a unique identifier for a computer, smart phone, or other electronic device connected to the Internet. You lose your privacy even if, as the suspect did in this situation, you employ defensive measures to avoid revealing your IP address, such as using a virtual private network (VPN). According to Morgans analysis, while the FBI had a warrant to conduct a search of the suspects computer, they didnt really need it. Why not? Morgan reasoned since hackers can break into computers, police can too. The effect on all our liberty will be devastating. In other words, you have no expectation of privacy against a warrantless government search, you also have no expectation of security if you take measures to avoid one. Based on that reasoning, because people get shot all the time in America, police can shoot anyone they want? What about your home? About a decade ago, burglars broke into mine and stole my television, stereo, and personal computer (fortunately secured with software encrypting the entire hard drive). Morgans decision indicates that since homes get burglarized, police can break into anyones home to search for evidence, without a warrant. It gets worse. As absurd as Judge Morgans ruling is, the Supreme Court has approved an obscure change in Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure that would enshrine the hacking he approved albeit with a warrant into law. At the FBIs request, the Court ruled in May federal judges may issue nationwide hacking warrants if criminal suspects have made any efforts to hide their location. Of course, thats exactly what a VPN is designed to do. In other words, if you dont use a VPN, its open season for hackers on your PC or smartphone. And if you do use a VPN, its open season for the FBI. The new rules go into effect December 1 unless Congress blocks them. While the vast majority of our congressional members are spending most of their time campaigning for November re-election, a handful of them have promised to block the changes to Rule 41. Will Congress block these rules? I wouldnt count on it. As always, if you want privacy or security, you must rely on you. Your only choice is to protect yourself. But how? As is often the case, some of the best solutions are outside the politically charged atmosphere of the US. First, subscribe to a robust VPN to encrypt the data stream on your smartphone and your PC. The one the FBI has apparently compromised is named Tor, originally developed by the US Navy. Some friends of mine who know much more about encryption than I do tell me its not Tor itself that has been compromised, but rather users implementation of it. Personally, I think this distinction is irrelevant for anyone other than encryption techno-groupies. Instead of Tor, the VPN we use at The Nestmann Group is called Cryptohippie. The companys only US presence is to authenticate connections to Cryptohippie servers in other countries. None of Cryptohippies servers are in the US. While I have no way of knowing if Cryptohippie is more or less secure than Tor, it is much less well known and thus likely to be a less attractive target for hackers (including government sanctioned ones) than Tor. Second, use an email program that facilitates transmission of encrypted messages. My personal choice is Thunderbird, along with a free plug-in called Enigmail. Once you exchange encryption keys with the people you correspond with, Enigmail automatically encrypts and decrypts your messages. Whats more, the messages are permanently encrypted on the server on which they reside. Even if a hacker manages to penetrate the server itself, the content of the messages remains secure. Third, if you use webmail services, ditch US providers such as Gmail, Yahoo, etc. Use a non-US service that is serious about security and encryption. We use a company called Century Media, which has its servers in Switzerland, for this purpose, but there are many other choices. A good time to begin securing your electronic life would be today. The US government certainly isnt going to do it for you. Want a proven, safe and simple way to protect your assets? For nearly three decades, Mark Nestmann has successfully helped clients do just that. Thats where Take Back Your Rights come in. It introduces you to some common sense ways to keep yourself safe in a dangerous, unstable world. And selfnewsPost.com has arranged for you to get the course for FREE (for a limited time). Image Credit The biggest threat to your civil liberties are judicial decisions and the actions of unelected bureaucrats. Often, the deep effect of these is unclear for months or even years. When you dont understand who you are, and what you are not you have to remedy the situation. EVERYTHING the Gov STATE and FED and LOCAL does to you there is a remedy!! Its important we KNOW our Status. You cannot read the codes and Statutes in our normal used of the English language. Because it is written in legalize!! For example: I you the same as Home Depot, Burger King Napa Auto parts, etc.,? I would like more information about some of these internet companies outside of the USA. I have a Russian ISP, but use gmail for email. I am a permanent resident in Russia (but not that proficient in Russian to use Russian internet emails)and I am not so keen on using password encrypted personal email to friends. BUT Maybe the author of this article can help? My email address is registered with selfnews Post, so I am easily contacted. A couple of questions: do people you e-mail to have to have the same Cyrptohippie or Enigma as well? Is what happened to TOR that people tried to send to Yahoo or Google? Thanks!!! and I wish All Americans a better Life!!!! Why is the FBI seeking court approval for what they undoubtedly already do? Are they getting soft? Senile? You cite the actions of the cabal as if the American people have a clue, which they dont. From the education system to the monetary system to the media industrial complex, to the medical industrial complex to the prison industrial complex and the political industrial complex, the American people have been lied to, manipulated, exploited, and downright lobotomized by the cabal who got the Federal Reserve Act passed in the dead of night on Christmas Eve when nobody was looking. Your rant suggests the complicity of the people when in all actuality, if the people knew what was really going on, and what was being done in their name, it wouldnt have gotten to where it is. We have been dealing with a conspiracy so large and so deep that its pretty hard to even comprehend in the first place. But people are waking up, people are sick and tired of being sick and tired, and now that the veil has been lifted on all that the United States Corporation has been doing to the people, its my belief that the people are going to start standing up more and more. So as an American, I would appreciate it if youd be a less judgemental, a lot more realistic, and a little less idealistic, because at the end of the day I cant be blamed for what someone else has done. Especially if theyve done it through lies, deceit, and terror. 