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ranger_danger

> I went immediately to buy a new phone.

Why does he think that will help against a state-backed adversary?

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I don't think he thinks it is a state.

But the title says gov spyware?

meaning gov-grade spyware, most likely

It's spyware that govs buy, but clearly the article goes in another direction as to who might have an interest in this guy.

>> I went immediately to buy a new phone.

> Why does he think that will help against a state-backed adversary?

What are his alternatives?

I'm not in this field but I was under the impression that people who know they are likely to be individually targeted use two (or more) phones and the one they use for their (target-worthy activity) is kept heavily locked down. Inconvenient to be sure but it seems like an unavoidable cost of being in that business.

It depends what the use case is, does the adversary want to read your email, tap your microphone or track your location?

You need to consider your location known to the government at all times if they know they'd want it beforehand. Most places are either surveilled heavily or sparsely populated, i.e. good for satellite-based observation. Maybe also to big enough corporations if they really want.

This does not imply that it is easy to track everyone everywhere at all times. I guess most targeted ones would like to protect their communication, and even meetings in person are possible if you keep some safeguards.

You’re assuming America, and on local soil. There are plenty of places where your statements are inaccurate.

Get a new iPhone and immediately turn on lockdown mode.

Not using a phone anymore

Is this a serious response? It is nearly impossible to live without a phone, short of pulling a Christ Mccandless. I understand that means this _is_ an option, but it is an option in the same way that cutting off your leg for fun is always an option.

Well if you're knowingly being targeted by a government, your choices are basically go off the grid... or continue having every inch of your life tracked so they can find any tiny little thing to construe as probable cause to take you in.

I don't really see any alternatives. Do you?

Going off the grid does not really prevent the alternative. It also presents convenient opportunities for accidents, depending on how far you go.

What do you suggest then?

> It is nearly impossible to live without a phone,

There's a whole continuum.

Other than 2FA, text messaging is easy to get rid of.

You still use it to make calls, so yeah, they can track you that way. You can keep the phone off most of the time, though. People close to me know that they're more likely to reach me by calling my home phone.

What else does one really need a phone for?

Navigation? Do what I did: Get another phone that never has a SIM card and use an offline app.

Camera? The same. But really, life is very doable without a camera to begin with!

The only reason I need a phone is 2FA.

I had Ubuntu Touch installed on an older OnePlus phone. It did everything, but they haven't figured out how to work with VoLTE. I considered just saying "screw it" and using it anyways, but then remembered that my Mum calls twice a week to chat me up so I went back.

But 100% you can still find alternatives, its just about how much stuff you wanna carry around with you right?

This doesn’t make sense… of course it will help. It gives you a clean slate, not compromised when you pick it up.

Maybe but if we're talking on the level of targeted government surveillance, I think all options are on the table, i.e. they should assume they are being watched everywhere they go, and that all their communications, including their close friends/family (or anyone they have already been talking to lately) are likely being monitored as well, in which case, getting a new phone may not do much of anything.

Does that really not make sense?

If there are zero click, unknown yet zero days against Apple devices, it won't help.

If you are actually security conscious, the only setup that works is have a public facing phone and a private phone that is custom rooted, de googled, and you control everything that runs on it.

There is some amount of protection until the adversary discovers the new number. But since they've already compromised his phone they likely have his dad's number and can compromise that phone to find him again. It's dystopian.

If he's running iOS he can also enabled Lockdown Mode on the new phone to block most types of attacks.

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