CryptoSeal VPN shuts down rather than risk NSA demands for crypto keys

CryptoSeal VPN shuts down rather than risk NSA demands for crypto keys.

-- Tom

 

"CryptoSeal Connect is not designed as a BitTorrent or other file-sharing VPN and is not designed to give you anonymity against the legal system,"

good riddance i say, yaharrr!

 

It's interesting to see another U.S. service announce that non-US services are a better option.

 

That's how it's going to go for all privacy-centric services, including all cloud services. Only two sorts of US-based providers will remain: 1) providers that tell you that the NSA etc see everything; and 2) providers that lie.

 

Yes, I already understood for myself that this is the reality. But it's one thing for Wilders members to say things like this, it's another thing when businesses shut down and make these sort of public announcements. I think that's something that not long ago that would have been almost unheard of (U.S. businesses recommending you forgo their service and seek out their counterparts outside the U.S.). You'd think it would give the government agencies or at least politicians some pause, but I guess not. I guess total information awareness (the greatest name ever for one of these programs) is more important.

 

The big companies will all lie, for the same reason that the NSA went off the rails, which is that their executives all "have two kids and a mortgage" (or whatever).

 

True, and for those who do enough digging they will note it's "all joined at the top" anyway. Meaning, it won't only be the US that totally erodes the privacy of both it's own citizens and those of other nations, but eventually all nations will do likewise. Whether willingly or forced, all nations will eventually fall in line with this mass surveillance agenda, without which, total control would be seriously hampered if not impossible.

In the meantime, we do what we can in this game of cat and mouse.

 

and what makes one believe non-us service providers will protect their privacy at all costs?

i believe that vpn services are only good for two things: for bypassing blocking for location restricted contents and encrypting connection on wi-fi spots when you're out.

 

Yes, no VPN provider can resist pressure from the government of the nation where it does business, except through shutting down and deleting everything securely (or perhaps by doing that and starting up in a different nation).

The only way to effectively protect our privacy is to distribute trust among multiple providers, such that 1) no one provider (and thus its government) has enough information to own us, and 2) the governments of the relevant nations won't cooperate except under extreme circumstances. A reasonable mix might be Sweden->Malta->US for Russians, or Sweden->Malta->Russia for Americans. Better would be Sweden->Malta->US->NL for Russians, or Sweden->Malta->US->Russia->NL for Americans.

 

and that would be a very risky course of action in the world of business & trade. what company would want to put its commercial standing in jeopardy? i believe none, if they mean business.

in today's global world, trade/commerce/business is global too through exchange markets, stock markets, etc. so it's not realistic and possible to follow that course of action as in shutting down your business somewhere and moving to somewhere else. what will they do when they run outa places to move to? and it's very naive to expect governmental organizations/law enforcement to allow them to shut down and go as they wish. hardly. not to mention all the capital required to start their business from scratch and the capital they let go down the drain. and then there's tax debt.

 

Cash, gold and Bitcoins

 

.

 

It keeps coming back to Malta. So I take it you are an IVPN supporter then.

 

That's just an example that I used.

I have liked iVPN for many years. But I also like AirVPN, BolehVPN, Cryptohippie, Insorg, Mullvad, Private Internet Access, SecurityKISS, etc. And I'm always looking for new possibilities. But I want recommendations from people whom I "know", not random "reviews".

So I could have said Panama instead of Malta.

I've been wondering about the workability of routing through China. It would take some serious stuff to get China, Russia, Sweden and the US to cooperate, no?

 

This is pretty interesting from a technical standpoint, but unless you use Internet as a Secret Agent or you are a Boss of some drug cartel I guess that it's a bit overkill.

I mean, for basic use and just being privacy conscious I am convinced that one good VPN is ok.

 

You shut down, move your buisness and you dont pay the tax/debt to the country that forced you to shut down.

 

keep in mind that tax debt is calculated retrospectively.
even after you shut down your business, you still need to pay your tax debts before you leave that country or your assets will be confiscated and your bank accounts will be frozen.
you won't have any stable income because you just shut down your business with an active customer portfolio.
and don't ever think you can just easily get away with it by shutting down your business and moving to some other country. because pecuniary debt follow-up is a global process. wherever you go, you'll be followed up. governments will co-operate via interpol and banking blacklists around the globe, etc.

 

IMO, Panama is a US puppet (1989 Invasion). They had a rendition criminal in custody, and didn't return him to Italy...let him go to US.

PD

 

Yes, that's why I didn't pick them

But Cryptohippie operates from Panama, and hasn't been busted AFAIK.

 

Well, then, you don't have any visible assets

If you're honest with your customers, and reinstate their accounts after you move, they'll understand. All customer and business data, by the way, is stored remotely in a hidden and secure place.

You're in business anonymously. You don't use any of those public financial services, so there's nothing to follow. You're just some random person, with a plausible cover occupation, living modestly. There's nothing special about you, no reason to look closely.

 

very well. but just one question. if vpn service providers are profit-oriented private enterprises (which i believe we all are sure they are), who would go into all those troubles in order to provide anonymity/privacy for a customer portfolio whose net worth is a few thousand dollars at the utmost and take the plunge and confront all those governmental institutions, security agencies, intelligence agencies, etc.?
i believe none.

 

Well, there are a few fanatics