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by TeMPOraL 679 days ago
Most software is tools of control and exploitation, and remains in an adversarial relationship with its users. You give software to users to make them make money for you; you protect the software from users so they don't cut you out, or use software to do something you'd rather they don't do.

Software that isn't like that is in a minority, and most of it is only used to build software that is like that.
2 comments
cobbal 679 days ago
It's interesting that cert pinning cuts both ways though. It can also be a tool to give users power against the IT department (typically indistinguishable from malware)
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TeMPOraL 679 days ago
Cert pinning often annoyingly works against both - software devs are a third party to both the organizational users and their IT dept overlords.

Trusted computing is similar, too. It's a huge win for the user in terms of security, as long as the user owns the master key and can upload their own signatures. If not, then it suddenly becomes a very powerful form of control.

The more fundamental issue is the distinction between "user" and "owner" of a computer - or its component, or a piece of software - as they're often not the same people. Security technologies assert and enforce control of the owner; whether that ends up empowering or abusive depends on who the owners are, and why.

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wkat4242 678 days ago
> The more fundamental issue is the distinction between "user" and "owner" of a computer - or its component, or a piece of software - as they're often not the same people.

Often? Only really in the case of a corporate computer. But Android locks these things down for everyone. In fact corporate owners can do things normal users can't.

For example I've heard (not confirmed) that with a Knox license you can add root CAs on Samsung. I don't think it's still possible with other MDMs or other vendors.

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TeMPOraL 678 days ago
> Often? Only really in the case of a corporate computer.

On the contrary, that's the more common case. It's the case with any computer at work (unless you're IT dept), in any work - there's hardly a job now that doesn't have one interacting with computers in some form or fashion, and those computers are very much not employee-owned. Same is the case in school setting, and so on. About the only time you can expect to own a computer is when you bought it yourself, with your own cash. The problem is, even when you do, everything is set up these days to deny you your ownership rights.

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wkat4242 678 days ago
True. It's almost never to the benefit of the user. The same with "attestation" technologies.
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