Question for Big Karch and other seniors here...

[krzna]

This could've gone into a pm but I put it here so that it helps others also.

Of late i've been getting more than a regular share of pm's about people, more importantly from sources who have been asking for SECURITY advice.

Questions range from email security - information security - anonymous browsing - taking away traces etc.

How does giving advice to beat the law to protect your illegal biz rate as an illegal activity in itself?

Information protection to my knowledge is 100% legal. However cognizence of illegal activity and using technology to aid that - how would that be viewed?

Please let me know. I may have some time next year to write a simple encryption algorithm for an operating system itself. Want to cover all my bases before i do it.

[IBBAdmin]

I too have been experiencing PMs of the same sort ,here and elsewhere. Pesonally I do not trust anyone ,( except if our own staff forums of course) I give answers like ( sorry, but I do not know enough to give you a legit answer ) Thats what I say and most of the time they reply back, thanks for getting back to me. Truthfully I am still scared to death with what happened. Although I feel that they already arrested who was on the list that they had anything on , but I am still scared

[bigkarch]

giving security advice is not illegal at all...plus whats to say your advice is just to circumvent LE..anyway..no worries...if you feel uncomfortable giving advice to sources, just keep it to known peeps we trust here

[bigkarch]

the conspiracy clause with the feds is in fact very liberal...but with what we do and give advice IMO wont add up to conspiracy to a crime....the definition to conspiracy as far as legal jargon, is two or more people conspire to commit a crime....mere computer security advice is not in that boat...hell if anyone here gives security advice is me.....I got my name all over these boards from my legal forums....I actually was concerned with the first wave of raw deal...but now I am not...krzna your good to go if you want to give computer security advice.....me personally, I usually give advice to those I know or respect....