Since 2015 it’s been known that hardward, including hard drivs, often comes pre-installe with NSA malware.
A google search for: NSA hacked hard drives will bring up a flurry of media posts about the Kapersky discovery. Arstechnica was one of the sites covering the story. http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/02/how-omnipotent-hackers-tied-to-the-nsa-hid-for-14-years-and-were-found-at-last/
Has Librem considered this in their hardware choices? What exactly is your proposed solution, if any?
AFAIR that malware works only with windows, so use a not a popular Linux distro (IMHO they will add a malware for Ubuntu too, if not added already) and you are safe.
Well… the benefit, of course, of a FOSS/ FOSH-based approach to-- e.g.-- Active Management Technology, and Out-of-band and In-band applications, is that the GLOBAL FOSS/ FOSH COMMUNITY can actively intervene in addressing solutions to hardware and software issues that/ which were previously only in the hands of Closedware “Cyberoligarchs”! Today… thanks to developments such as Purism!.. we (Netizens!) have the ability to know who comes in to our respective devices, and who goes out (i.e., given the GLOBAL FOSS/ FOSH networking of such technomae as Out-of-band and in-band applications within Active Management Technology, or “AMT-like” technology!)!
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And so… and with regard the hacking of Purism hard drives!.. whatever “filters” that/ which exist for Closedware OEMs, can now be made available to a globally distributed family of FOSS/ FOSH skill-sets, that/ which can be invoked to remotely assist any and all impacted Netizens using FOSS/ FOSH-based systems, to overcome ILLEGAL INTRUSIONS into the devices that/ which FOSS/ FOSH Netizens now O-W-N! And… hopefully!.. one of the things that Purism will eventually establish alongside the important hardware and software support tools, is the LEGAL FORUMS and LEGAL TOOLS that/ which will surely emerge, now that FOSS/ FOSH members have NIGH COMPLETE CONTROL over the hardware and software elements of their systems! The hardware and software “learning curve” for Purism Librem FOSS/ FOSH devices is, of course, V-I-T-A-L-L-Y I-M-P-O-R-T-A-N-T for both Purism, and the Purism family to get a handle on (and especially, at this early phase of Purism’s evolution!)!.. but, once the “learning curve” is addressed (though, the “curve” will always be present!), the R-E-A-L I-S-S-U-E for Purism, will be the upcoming LEGAL BATTLES that/ which will be waged, that will place NUMEROUS Public Sector institutions (B-U-T, E-T-C!) O-N T-H-E D-E-F-E-N-S-I-V-E!
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To sum up… this just aforenoted “potential reality”, is-- I feel!-- a BASIC REASON why “certain interests” don’t want to see a
FULL MANIFESTATION of Netizen control over their FOSS/ FOSH devices!.. as such “interests” will now have to CRIMINALLY and TORTIOUSLY explain why these have thought it JUSTIFIABLE to commit-- V-I-R-T-U-A-L-L-Y!-- a “Cyber Break and Enter” into Netizens respective FOSS/ FOSH systems that Netizens now O-W-N! And… and as Ricky Ricardo once used to say to Lucy (from the TV Show, I Love Lucy!), “Lucy!.. you’ve got some ‘(s)plainin’ to do!”… such “interests” WILL NOT (save, for UNCONSTITUTIONAL lesser Federal, and State laws!) have the freedom these once enjoyed, to wantonly, and wrecklessly disregard every other Digital Human Rights accord signed onto, by countless GLOBAL Digital Human Rights Advocacies, and RESPONSIBLE Global Governances!
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And frankly!.. and at this point!.. I don’t think that even Purism has any TRUE IDEA of the E-N-O-R-M-O-U-S I-M-P-L-I-C-A-T-I-O-N-S of what a “FULLY OPERATIONAL” FOSS/ FOSH-based infrastructure-- YEA, GLOBAL FOSS/ FOSH-BASED COMMUNITY!.. is R-E-A-L-L-Y all about! That is to say, and inasmuch, as Purism is too close to the “FOSS/ FOSH trees” to see the “FOSS/ FOSH forest”! For!.. it is a G-A-M-E C-H-A-N-G-E-R!.. THE D-A-W-N of Personal Computing!.. in contrast, to our present Pseudidiosic and Kerdoparasitic computing! And something-- as I’ve suggested!-- “certain interests” D-O N-O-T W-A-N-T to see FULLY OPERATIONAL! Nevertheless!.. and as time progresses!.. much of the LARGER ISSUES of FOSS/ FOSH-based computing, will become manifest! And!.. their CORRECT RESOLVE, will mean D-R-A-M-A-T-I-C I-M-P-R-O-V-E-M-E-N-T-S for Netizens, worldwide!
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Please!.. no emails!
I haven’t heard of a hard drive with open firmware yet but maybe I missed something.
Then!.. you’d do well to review the following, in addition to looking at hard drives!..
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Matthew Garrett: Beyond Anti Evil Maid
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Towards Measured Boot Out of the Box by Matthew Garrett, Core OS
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TRUSTED COMPUTING - Wikipedia (see, Criticism… but, addressed by Matt Garrett above, in, Towards Measured Boot…)
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Please!.. no emails!