Human example of cache timing-related information leak

[Brian Bartholomew]

You've heard of the Intel-family CPU bugs. These leak information
across a security boundary due to performance differences which
indicate what the CPU has recently processed. Here is a human brain
version of that:

Explain to someone the sequence of events by which a minimum wage
causes the least capable workers to be laid off. If they respond
slowly, you conclude they weren't aware of this sequence, this fact is
not in cache. If they respond immediately, you conclude this fact was
already in cache. You have learned something about their agenda which
they did not intend to reveal. Works the same for a Silicon-based CPU.

Doublethink is method acting. Even famous actors get this acting job
wrong in their political advocacy life. If their acting was better,
then each time a flaw was pointed out in their political advocacy they
would react with apparent alarm and puzzlement.

Brian

[Rick Fabiani]

Brian,

Again, in short, WTF? Is this a political statement or are you seriously trying to analogize processor security flaws with psychoanalytical investigatory techniques? Cause if it is the later, it is dripping with your own biases. Either way, maybe pick different analogies to use on this thread so we can keep it more apolitical. 

-Rick

[Christopher Hoffman]

I actually really like this, it makes perfect sense. I don't have any psychology experience, but I often find myself in conversation referring to topics that I was recently thinking of - "Oh, that reminds me, blah blah blah". Or if someone asks a question, a "well, I haven't thought about that before" vs an instant answer could give away more information than the answerer might be intending.

[Brian Bartholomew]

In all but pathological liars, lying to invent information or to hide
it takes more brain processing than telling the truth.

The older police interrogation technique is the Reid Technique,
because unsophisticated liars behave differently than unsophisticated
truth-tellers. The newer technique is named PEACE, I believe they
simply let the subject tell his story without interruption and then
call him on his inconsistencies later.

I read a SciFi story once where the questions were predesigned, then
presented in random order by automation so it was much harder to
invent a consistent lie in the moment. This might be the "baseline
test" in the new Blade Runner movie. Who knows what probes they had
installed to monitor brain operation, see where the CPU was being
used, equivalent of functional MRI, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_technique

"Don't Talk to the Police" by Law Professor James Duane:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE

Brian

[Allen Rout]

On Fri, Jan 5, 2018 at 10:48 AM, Rick Fabiani <rfab...@fabianilaw.com> wrote:
>
> Again, in short, WTF? Is this a political statement or are you seriously
> trying to analogize processor security flaws with psychoanalytical
> investigatory techniques? Cause if it is the later, it is dripping with your
> own biases. Either way, maybe pick different analogies to use on this thread
> so we can keep it more apolitical.

The nice thing about rooting your analytical theory in biology, is
that it works on power-hungry liars of any tribe. So it's _very_
apolitical. Maybe antipolitical?

Stripping euphemisms from a stated position can be a worthwhile and
entertaining exercise, even if it's frequently an uncomfortable one.


- Allen S. Rout
- Sky-father hallucinator, Catholic subset.