Re: [BATA] Warning

[PAUL HUANG]

Carmen,

I hope this message finds you safe and well. I know all of you are working to lessen and resolve the additional burdens created by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many organizations have decided to use Zoom, a video conference platform that provides us with a simple, accessible interface to keep in touch. Most importantly, it is FREE - a cheap solution...or so we thought. 

Former Director of the NSA and CIA Michael Hayden told TIME Magazine, "Zoom's links to China, regardless of what its CEO promises, create a persistent threat." The following cybersecurity issues, privacy concerns, and uncontrolled accessibility has been reported by Zoom users:

1. "Zoombombing": intruders crashing calls and infiltrating with offensive content including pornographic images, racial slurs, profanity

2. Exposing  personal information: name, company/business affiliation, location, email addresses, phone numbers, photos

3. Accessing users' data within the device, data collection without disclosure

4. Sending malicious links to users' chat interfaces and gaining access to their network credentials

5. Espionage services spying on calls/chats, searching for government, corporate, academic conversations for financial, personal, product development, research, intellectual property information and leads

6. Routing encryption keys through Chinese servers, allowing Chinese authorities to access user data

7. Lacking end-to-end encryption, routing encryption through Chinese servers from 

8. Data phishing and unauthorized access

9. Allowing attackers to send malicious links to users' chat interfaces and gain access to email passwords

10. Sharing details regarding user's device with other applications, ie: Facebook

It is no longer possible to ignore what is blatantly obvious. Being foolish when the only victim is yourself is one thing, but being foolish when it endangers scores of others is dangerous, reckless, and even criminal. For so long, our desire to build better friendships, to do business with China, to take advantage of the labor pool and financial winnings, have blinded us from the dangerous threat that China is. Communist China penetrated our entire society - every level of government, state, county, city, institution business, and home. Today, we are reaping the consequences of the world power that China is. China is responsible for COVID-19 and while we may have closed our physical borders, China continues to sabotage us, Americans, through Zoom - a monumental threat to our national security via the Internet - World Wide Web.

 

Zoom is MALWARE with the multitude of security and privacy issues. It is imperative that we recognize this threat, immediately discontinue the use of Zoom, and use an alternative video conference platform. At this time, some of the alternative options may require a small fee for each user or for the administrator whom initiates the "call." However, many do have free trials and have reported that they will soon be offering basic versions for no cost.  Stay safe and healthy, take action in avoiding China's intrusion, and let us stay in touch by using an alternative option.

Alternative Options:

1. Google Duo: max size increased from 8 to 12 people, available on mobile device and web, video and audio calls with end-to-end encryption

2. Google Meet: supports up to 100 people, no anonymous users, requires individual accounts with monthly payments but soon to be free for everyone by offering Free Google Meet Accounts , host controls admission entry, live stream

3. FaceTime: requires Apple devices, group video chats up to 32 people, with end-to-end encryption

4. Webex: with end-to-end encryption, business focused, video calls up to 100 people, free tier offered

5. GoToMeeing: end-to-end encryption, no free plans but 14-day free trial, $12 per month, video calls up to 150 people

6. Skype: up to 50 people on video call

7. Slack: up to 15 people on video call with paid plan

8. Facebook Messenger: up to 50 people on video call

Reference Links:

1. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/technology/new-york-attorney-general-zoom-privacy.html

2. https://time.com/5818851/spies-target-americans-zoom-others/

3. https://twitter.com/hackerfantastic/status/1245133371262619654

4. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52133349

5. https://twitter.com/hackerfantastic/status/1245133371262619654

6. https://www.wired.com/story/keep-zoom-chats-private-secure/

7. https://www.businessinsider.com/zoom-facing-multiple-reported-security-issues-amid-coronavirus-crisis-2020-4?r=US&IR=T

8. https://www.businessinsider.com/zoom-privacy-issues-fbi-facebook-data-sharing-2020-3?r=US&IR=T#zoom-audio-and-video-calls-do-not-actually-support-end-to-end-encryption-even-though-its-website-says-they-do-according-to-a-report-4

Paul 

On Sep 18, 2022, at 2:58 PM, 'Carmen Lin' via Bay Area Taiwanese American <bay-area-taiw...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



Do you use a social media app called Tick Tok?

If you do, read what I copied below from FB. You’ll need to get rid of it soon.

I’ve read that CCP (Chinese gov’t) control all their private citizen’s social media activity.

我不知道我們當中是否有人使用 Tick Tok，因為我早就看到警告說中國公司的東西都有被中共偷竊資訊的危險，所以我一向對中國的東西在網路上的，我盡量避免去碰。

果然，現在我在臉書上看到這消息，證明我以往的想法沒錯。不是我冤枉中共，而是中共實在太可怕。我在兩千零四年跟一位教會的姊妹去中國旅遊時，我曾想過不知旅館房間有沒有竊聽器。好在我們都沒有談到中共，所以即使有也不怕他們竊聽。

好了，若有人使用這個可怕的東西，要趕快拿掉。曾有幾次有人轉傳這家的文章給我，我看時都害怕會不會受影響。

我也再次順便說，請各位以後不要再轉傳這家的東西給我，因為我決定不再看，以免受損失。

我把在臉書上面看到的複製在這裡給大家看，就知道有多麼可怕。

Facebook - log in or sign up Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

She was one of the first to present evidence and warn us, but few people listened. Now the U.S. House of Representatives says she was correct.

Former Google executive Felix Krause yesterday posted "TikTok, when opening any website in their app, injects tracking code that can monitor all keystrokes, including passwords, and all taps."

Jaja Liao holds a BA in Molecular Biology from Yale University, and is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Taiwan. She lives in San Francisco and her articles have appeared in Forbes magazine.

Three years ago she quit her job at TikTok and and warned the world. She said the company was clearly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the app was spyware which impacted 80 million users.

She called it a giant data farm for the CCP. Yesterday, she wrote that at the time, "none of y’all listened to me!"

On Thursday afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Chief Administrative Officer finally issued a cyber advisory on TikTok. It was labeled “high-risk” with personal information being accessed from inside China.

The official House advisory says “We do not recommend the download or use of this application due to these security and privacy concerns.”

--
This is the Bay Area Taiwanese American E-Mail Group. Our main objective is to provide open communication channel for the Taiwanese American community, let the Taiwan Spirit grow and pass down to the future.
---
這是 Google 網路論壇針對「Bay Area Taiwanese American」群組發送的訂閱通知郵件。
如要取消訂閱這個群組並停止接收來自這個群組的郵件，請傳送電子郵件到 bay-area-taiwanese-...@googlegroups.com。
如要在網路上查看這項討論，請造訪 https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bay-area-taiwanese-american/165878948.4064714.1663225873882%40mail.yahoo.com。

[Carmen Lin]

Paul,

I think it could be not long after the Covid-19 lockdown began, I read somewhere warning people not to use Zoom.

So far I have not used this dangerous thing although there were people who tried to persuade me to use it. I simply cannot trust Communist China. Starting with 8th grade (Junior High), i began to learn all the terrible things done in China. I really have a long history of learning how evil China is.

I simply cannot trust anything they offer to the world.

Carmen Lin