Matt Blaze
@mattblaze.org
Scientist, safecracker, etc. McDevitt Professor of Computer Science and Law at Georgetown. So-called expert on election security and a few other things. Slow photographer. RF nerd. Occasionally blogs at https://mattblaze.org/blog
Reposted by Matt Blaze
Susan Landau, @mattblaze.org, and Steven Bellovin unpack the U.K. government's latest attempt to access encrypted cloud backups in Apple products and explain how it could make sensitive data more vulnerable to adversarial actors.
The U.K.’s Plan for Electronic Eavesdropping Poses Cybersecurity Risks
The U.K. government’s latest attempt to access encrypted cloud backups could allow adversarial actors to gain access to sensitive data.
lawfaremedia.org
January 8, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Susan Landau, @mattblaze.org, and Steven Bellovin unpack the U.K. government's latest attempt to access encrypted cloud backups in Apple products and explain how it could make sensitive data more vulnerable to adversarial actors.
Reposted by Matt Blaze
NB: When I, a professor of law, profess that an act is unlawful, I am not doing it to inform the lawbreaker, but rather to inform you, the reader.
So the question “what, like you think he cares?” is inapposite. The question is whether *you* care. I think you should, which is why I bother.
So the question “what, like you think he cares?” is inapposite. The question is whether *you* care. I think you should, which is why I bother.
December 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM
NB: When I, a professor of law, profess that an act is unlawful, I am not doing it to inform the lawbreaker, but rather to inform you, the reader.
So the question “what, like you think he cares?” is inapposite. The question is whether *you* care. I think you should, which is why I bother.
So the question “what, like you think he cares?” is inapposite. The question is whether *you* care. I think you should, which is why I bother.
Fairly impressed that "sycophant" is in his working vocabulary. Though I suppose as 50 cent words go, that's one that should be familiar to him.
December 12, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Fairly impressed that "sycophant" is in his working vocabulary. Though I suppose as 50 cent words go, that's one that should be familiar to him.
Russ and Daughters would like a brief word.
December 12, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Russ and Daughters would like a brief word.
Almost painful to watch. Almost.
December 11, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Almost painful to watch. Almost.
It pingpongs back and forth. The playbook seems to have been written in 2016 by over-zealous Clinton supporters, but Clinton herself wanted nothing to do with it. Then in 2020 MAGA went into full conspiracy mode, but that time, their candidate amplified it.
Harris, fortunately, isn't biting.
Harris, fortunately, isn't biting.
December 10, 2025 at 7:23 PM
It pingpongs back and forth. The playbook seems to have been written in 2016 by over-zealous Clinton supporters, but Clinton herself wanted nothing to do with it. Then in 2020 MAGA went into full conspiracy mode, but that time, their candidate amplified it.
Harris, fortunately, isn't biting.
Harris, fortunately, isn't biting.
The trick to be taken seriously is to act seriously, something the election deniers don't seem to be capable of doing.
I’ll take these theories seriously when the advocates of them submit papers to legitimate, refereed journals and propose actual, as opposed to handwavy pie in the sky, mechanisms of action.
For now I’m with election security experts like @mattblaze.org who hasn’t seen anything close to reasonable.
For now I’m with election security experts like @mattblaze.org who hasn’t seen anything close to reasonable.
December 10, 2025 at 3:29 AM
The trick to be taken seriously is to act seriously, something the election deniers don't seem to be capable of doing.
Tennessee does do post-election audits. They aren't the universal RLAs that would be best, but it's not like there are no post-election checks there.
These people don't care, however.
These people don't care, however.
December 8, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Tennessee does do post-election audits. They aren't the universal RLAs that would be best, but it's not like there are no post-election checks there.
These people don't care, however.
These people don't care, however.
Oh brother. Exactly the same voodoo statistical and political analysis that has already been debunked in the other places they’ve been peddling it. (Hint: GOTV efforts by either candidate readily explains exactly what they’re seeing).
December 7, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Oh brother. Exactly the same voodoo statistical and political analysis that has already been debunked in the other places they’ve been peddling it. (Hint: GOTV efforts by either candidate readily explains exactly what they’re seeing).
Reposted by Matt Blaze
They got a cool festive signage for the holiday train and an old subway token as the line symbol!
December 7, 2025 at 4:33 PM
They got a cool festive signage for the holiday train and an old subway token as the line symbol!
Wow. It never occurred to me that that there could be a film adaptation, but, yeah.
"A 114 part mini-series".
"A 114 part mini-series".
December 1, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Wow. It never occurred to me that that there could be a film adaptation, but, yeah.
"A 114 part mini-series".
"A 114 part mini-series".
He seems to have blocked me. Or at least I never saw the post you quoted.
In any case, my advice remains the same: put up or shut up. If they have evidence to support their extraordinary claims, publish in a reputable peer-reviewed journal. Otherwise, not my (or anyone’s) job to “disprove” them.
In any case, my advice remains the same: put up or shut up. If they have evidence to support their extraordinary claims, publish in a reputable peer-reviewed journal. Otherwise, not my (or anyone’s) job to “disprove” them.
November 27, 2025 at 11:52 PM
He seems to have blocked me. Or at least I never saw the post you quoted.
In any case, my advice remains the same: put up or shut up. If they have evidence to support their extraordinary claims, publish in a reputable peer-reviewed journal. Otherwise, not my (or anyone’s) job to “disprove” them.
In any case, my advice remains the same: put up or shut up. If they have evidence to support their extraordinary claims, publish in a reputable peer-reviewed journal. Otherwise, not my (or anyone’s) job to “disprove” them.
Tomorrow in my election security course we dissect election denial BS, always fun. I'm grateful to the "election truth" conspiracy people for keeping the 2020 dream alive in 2024, giving us a steady stream of new (actually recycled) material. The pillow guy gets old after a while.
Matt Blaze (@[email protected])
Tomorrow is the day in my election security course where we dissect election denial BS, always a fun class. I'm grateful to the "election truth" conspiracy people for keeping the 2020 dream alive in 2...
federate.social
November 24, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Tomorrow in my election security course we dissect election denial BS, always fun. I'm grateful to the "election truth" conspiracy people for keeping the 2020 dream alive in 2024, giving us a steady stream of new (actually recycled) material. The pillow guy gets old after a while.
Yeah, I'd find that definitely unsurprising.
November 24, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Yeah, I'd find that definitely unsurprising.
Weird Al's UHF was practically a documentary
November 23, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Weird Al's UHF was practically a documentary
For context: STL means "Studio-Transmitter Link", a UHF or microwave link between the broadcast studio (usually located downtown) and the (usually unstaffed) transmitter site (with a big tower somewhere, maybe on a hill). Pogramming is fed to the transmitter over the STL.
November 23, 2025 at 5:38 AM
For context: STL means "Studio-Transmitter Link", a UHF or microwave link between the broadcast studio (usually located downtown) and the (usually unstaffed) transmitter site (with a big tower somewhere, maybe on a hill). Pogramming is fed to the transmitter over the STL.
That said, I'll bet there are a fair number of AM and FM radio stations out there still using easily hijacked analog STLs. Probably none in the major markets, but there are a lot of small stations operating on shoestring budgets using old equipment.
November 23, 2025 at 5:33 AM
That said, I'll bet there are a fair number of AM and FM radio stations out there still using easily hijacked analog STLs. Probably none in the major markets, but there are a lot of small stations operating on shoestring budgets using old equipment.
One interesting question is whether there are any US TV broadcasters still using analog STLs (that would be vulbnable to the Max Headroom attack). I suspect that the switch to digital ATSC in the early 2000's pretty wll killed them off when broadcasters had to replace their transmitters.
November 23, 2025 at 5:26 AM
One interesting question is whether there are any US TV broadcasters still using analog STLs (that would be vulbnable to the Max Headroom attack). I suspect that the switch to digital ATSC in the early 2000's pretty wll killed them off when broadcasters had to replace their transmitters.
In particular, you're absolutely right that nothing can prepare you for this. Overwhelming doesn't begin to describe it.
November 23, 2025 at 3:02 AM
In particular, you're absolutely right that nothing can prepare you for this. Overwhelming doesn't begin to describe it.
Been there. Sympathies.
November 23, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Been there. Sympathies.