Since Ed Snowden blew the lid off the NSA’s spying programs, the Internet has felt a little less secure. Although users have always been aware of some type of monitoring, it was disturbing to learn the extent of it. Now technology security company McAfee has plans to release a device that will keep the government out of your personal files. According to cnet.com:
“John McAfee has unveiled plans for a new product, called the D-Central, that he promises will keep users safe from the prying eyes of government.
“The D-Central will be a hardware product that will cost less than $100, McAfee said in an interview at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center on Saturday. The device will be capable of communicating with smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices to create a series of decentralized local networks. Because those networks are essentially floating around the Web and are private networks, it’s practically impossible to nail them down, said McAfee.”
Although many people have been passive about the NSA issue, a product like this would be appealing to the public, especially as more information is released about the NSA’s practices. Today, more information was revealed on how the NSA is storing data about people, and it’s worse than the Obama Administration has let on. As reported by theguardian.com:
“The National Security Agency is storing the online metadata of millions of internet users for up to a year, regardless of whether or not they are persons of interest to the agency, top secret documents reveal. Metadata provides a record of almost anything a user does online, from browsing history – such as map searches and websites visited – to account details, email activity, and even some account passwords. This can be used to build a detailed picture of an individual’s life.
“The Obama administration has repeatedly stated that the NSA keeps only the content of messages and communications of people it is intentionally targeting – but internal documents reveal the agency retains vast amounts of metadata.”
Although a product like this may be useful, it is possible that the U.S. could ban its sale, citing its potential misuse by evildoers, like say, terrorists. Now that McAfee’s plans have been made public, the NSA will undoubtedly be working on a way around his device.
Time will tell if the D-Central will ever make it to market, or if it will truly be secure.
