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Computers hackers helping Iranian protesters
Wall Street Journal ^ | 6/22/09 | Julie Steinberg

Posted on 06/22/2009 3:55:46 PM PDT by fightin bronco

Neda Soltani’s Death Inspires New Site

A hastily created Web site called NedaNet has formed in honor of a young woman, Neda Soltani, who was killed during a Tehran protest.

The site’s founder, Eric S. Raymond, created the page to serve as a jumping-off point for hackers who want to help Iranian citizens. “Our mission is to help the Iranian people by setting up networks of proxy servers, anonymizers and any other appropriate technologies that can enable them to communicate and organize — a network beyond the censorship or control of the Iranian regime,” the site says.

A video widely circulated online shows a young woman, Neda Soltani, who was reportedly killed during a protest in Tehran, Iran. Iran’s censors have spurred protesters and activists to circumvent the system in any way they can. Mr. Raymond solicits bandwidth and computing power that will enable citizens on the ground to rapidly disseminate information and thus puncture the country’s firewall.

He acknowledges the danger that hacking into the network entails. He’s also received death threats and intimidating messages from purported Hezbollah and Iranian agents. Still, he ends his online plea with the sentence: “For any jihadi interested in asking me questions face to face, I’ve got some bullets slathered in pork fat to make you feel extra special welcome.”

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hackers; iran; neda; nedasoltan; protest
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To: AFreeBird

I’ve had a twitter proxy up and running for several days now on my network, so far it’s gone undetected and unblocked by the Iranian Government and is still passing messages .....


21 posted on 06/22/2009 8:49:03 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative; Marine_Uncle; Texas Fossil; SE Mom; fightin bronco; ShadowAce
Any comments on this note?:

Protesters in Iran

22 posted on 06/27/2009 5:38:35 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I am unfamiliar with The Onion Router (TOR), but keep in mind that just because you encript the message successfully does not mean that the transmission is not detected. The mear fact that it is encripted is a flag that it should be monitored and examined.

If it is a transmission of pics or video, I am not sure how you would handle that. I am sure there is a way.

If it is being handled by RF networks, spread spectrum offers a lot of security. Whichever method of frequency hopping you choose. I doubt the average computer user can apply that, but governments do. Short burst on frequency hopping trasmitters and receivers are a good step to RF security. Problem with RF is bandwidth, fiber gives a lot higher data rate and for that reason is almost universally used where available.


23 posted on 06/27/2009 5:52:11 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (The last time I looked, this is still Texas where I live.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
"Any comments on this note?:" Yes.
"“For any jihadi interested in asking me questions face to face, I’ve got some bullets slathered in pork fat to make you feel extra special welcome.”"
Love it.
24 posted on 06/27/2009 5:57:59 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I had no knowledge of the Tor router technology prior to reading this article. Interesting to say the least.


25 posted on 06/27/2009 6:11:09 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Well, I have an anonymous Twitter Server running at home that’s passing thousands of messages an hour out of Iran, a FreeGate Server and I donate bandwidth to TOR. My high speed internet connection is 50mb down, 22mb up. Roughly half my bandwidth is taken up by Twitter and Tor at the moment.


26 posted on 06/27/2009 6:35:54 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

By the way, my Twitter server has been up more than a week now. TOR I’ve donated half my bandwidth to encrypted, secure, network browsing for more than a year now. EGate went up Thursday evening, haven’t seen any traffic across it yet.


27 posted on 06/27/2009 6:38:32 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: fightin bronco
These guys have set up a website to enable online communication in Iran to continue beyond government censors.

I've spent a considerable amount of time in the last week helping others setup Twitter Servers for Iran, it's a huge growing movement.

Here's My Twitter Page which I offered help on, and received a dozen or more requests for help in the last week.

If you have the knowledge and some time to spare, helping to support freedom and democracy in Iran is a very worthwhile cause...

28 posted on 06/27/2009 6:42:04 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative

Thanks for helping them. The more sources that are sending the less likely that they will nail someone from the volume of ip traffic. If some of it is simply music downloads or uploads it will mask the real important data.

If I were trying to locate someone that was a threat, I would look at the high traffic ip addresses first. I am sure they have records of physical locations of ip addresses.

You can also put text messages inside images. These can be extracted on the other end by opening it with an editor. If that data is first encripted, then that is another level of security.

Of course none of this will help if video’s or pics are what you are sending. I am sure there is a way to encrypt it, but I do not know how.

Pray for the brave Persian soles who are doing this.


29 posted on 06/27/2009 6:44:02 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (The last time I looked, this is still Texas where I live.)
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To: Texas Fossil
Twitter is just passing 140 character text messages, so my server can easily handle the traffic. The trick was to block the Iranian Government's IP addresses to stop them from seeing and then blocking my twitter server. There's a page on the NedaNet website that describes how to do that. I followed those instructions to block the Iranian Government. Been working for a week now.

I just remote controlled my machine from the summer house in the upper penninsula of michigan and so far everything's still running fine.

30 posted on 06/27/2009 6:48:54 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative

Thanks again.

Networking is not my strong suite, but I have a working knowledge of it.

We may have an advantage in that most techies are not taken in by the Mullahs. And of course those focused on 700 AD have no interest in things technical, except when they must. And then they rely on others to furnish the help.

Keep up the good work.


31 posted on 06/27/2009 6:58:35 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (The last time I looked, this is still Texas where I live.)
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To: usconservative; Texas Fossil

If you get thru the multiple links ....we see that the bush administration did some work that is helping now....I don’t want to say more than that....


32 posted on 06/27/2009 7:04:32 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: All
NedaNet
33 posted on 06/27/2009 7:07:29 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Marine_Uncle

You could say...Bush did it!


34 posted on 06/27/2009 7:24:23 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: usconservative; fightin bronco; Texas Fossil; NormsRevenge; Marine_Uncle; SolidWood; ...
Outstanding work...

Note of encouragement....see this related thread:

Battle for Iran Shifts from Streets to the Heart of Power

Earlier related thread that implied this would happen:

Iran: There Will Be Blood

Also...a related thread:

Attempted Iran media clampdown meets Internet age

35 posted on 06/27/2009 7:29:41 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Thanks for links-

“#________RT from Iran: Basij are marking doors to attack later. Use oil/petrol to remove marks. Pls RT”

It is neat to here some useful stuff filter through the noise of the typical youth traffic. I’ll bet it drives those old duffers trying to follow it crazy. (The Mullahs are already certifiable)


36 posted on 06/27/2009 7:59:34 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (The last time I looked, this is still Texas where I live.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Thanks for links-

“#________RT from Iran: Basij are marking doors to attack later. Use oil/petrol to remove marks. Pls RT”

It is neat to here some useful stuff filter through the noise of the typical youth traffic. I’ll bet it drives those old duffers trying to follow it crazy. (The Mullahs are already certifiable)


37 posted on 06/27/2009 7:59:36 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (The last time I looked, this is still Texas where I live.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Was trying to understand how Twitter functions tonight and read something I think is bogus on Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

“The first criminal prosecution arising from Twitter posts began in April 2009 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Daniel Knight Hayden, a supporter of the Tea Party protests against the policies of President Barack Obama. Hayden was allegedly sending tweets threatening violence in connection with his plan to attend the Tea Party protest in Oklahoma City.”

They do not miss a beat to try and villianize “The Tea Parties”. He said things that were just stupid, but I did not see a direct threat to Obozo or any other political figure.


38 posted on 06/27/2009 9:14:51 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (The last time I looked, this is still Texas where I live.)
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To: Texas Fossil

RT from Iran: Basij are marking doors to attack later. Use oil/petrol to remove marks. Pls RT” ......................... LOL. better to send “petrol and soap flakes” make better Molotov cocktails. Its also time to send all those IEDs we captured in Iraq and Afghanistan back to Iran.


39 posted on 06/27/2009 10:26:01 PM PDT by Bringbackthedraft (Democrats have nothing to fear but Palin being herself.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Aso! So you don’t think big Al Snore will get pissed off and claim ownership of the technology./sarc off.


40 posted on 06/28/2009 3:52:23 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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