Safety & security technology

I am a diagnostics expert and computer/network architect, and I'm here to discuss COVID-19 diagnostics. My name is Devabhaktuni "Sri" Srikrishna and I am the co-founder of Tropos Networks (), Patient Knowhow (), and Technology for Global Security ( ).

Technology for Global Security (Tech4GS) is helping me host this AMA (). Ask me anything!

My bio:

BS Caltech (Math), MS MIT (EECS). Published on wireless networks, parallel computer architecture, quantum computing, and nuclear security. Previously founder/CTO of Tropos Networks. Tropos makes reliable, metro-scale wireless mesh networks (1000+ node, 600+ sq. mi.) using Wi-Fi for police (public safety), public access, and electric utilities and is deployed in 1000+ customers worldwide. In 2014, I was drawn into the unfolding Ebola crisis due to open panic expressed by public health agencies. In collaboration with public health experts, my research on how to control Ebola quickly ended up in the Lancet. This led to the design the national Ebola response in Guinea where the epidemic began. Subsequent research on how to control widely spread viruses without access to vaccines and treatments.

My publications:

“We Need a Cheap Way to Diagnose Coronavirus” -

“What the U.S. Needs to Do — Right Now — to Fight Coronavirus” -

“The World Is Completely Unprepared for a Global Pandemic” -

“Are Countries Prepared for the Increasing Threat of Engineered Bioweapons?” -

- Lancet. 2014 Oct 18.

- Lancet Infect Dis. 2015 Feb

- Lancet Infect Dis. 2016 Oct

- BMJ. 2017 Jan 30

- Lancet Infect Dis. 2018 Jun

- Lancet. 2018 Jun 23

- Lancet Infect Dis. 2018 Dec

- Lancet. 2018 Dec 8

We are advocates who support regulation of Big Tech but oppose the misguided (KOSA), and similarly dangerous and unconstitutional bills like the EARN IT Act, Stop CSAM Act, Cooper Davis Act, and Protecting Kids On Social Media Act.

On Monday, September 18th starting at 3:00pm EST we’ll be hosting an AMA here on .

Come ask us anything about why these bills would do more harm than good, and what lawmakers and regulators can do instead to address the harm that Big Tech’s surveillance driven business model is doing to kids and our democracy without undermining human rights and free expression.
Learn more about these bills and write/call your legislators at
Participants:

• Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)

• Evan Greer, Fight for the Future

• Cody Venzke, ACLU

• Emma Llanso, CDT

• Joe Mullin, Electronic Frontier Foundation,

• More TBA!

We are a group of activists, human rights defenders, and technologists mobilizing support to save internet freedom. In just a few weeks, nearly 500 organizations and 3500 individuals have signed a letter asking Congress to save OTF, including Github, Reddit, EFF, Mozilla on

Why save OTF? The Open Technology Fund (OTF) is a critical funder in the global fight for internet freedom. Today, more than two billion people around the world use technologies supported by OTF to communicate securely, circumvent censorship, and combat authoritarianism. OTF was an early funder for Signal and support tools like Lets Encrypt, Tor, and Mailvelope. Projects funded by OTF help people avoid repressive surveillance in Iran, circumvent internet shutdowns in Turkey, and journalists stay safe online in Russia.

Now all of that is in danger. If a new Trump appointee has his way, OTF’s funds and resources could be reallocated to closed-source, private tech companies. The goodwill and trust that has taken years for OTF to build will be wiped away and dismantled. Projects and tools that are the lifeline for journalists, activists, and human rights defenders will be in danger. We are fighting to save internet freedom and OTF.

Read more:

Who we are:

- Nima Fatemi is the President of , a nonprofit org providing cybersecurity for vulnerable populations.

- Jillian York works for the and is a member of the OTF Advisory Council.

- Xeenarh Mohammed is the Executive Director of , Digital freedom advocate and queer security trainer from Nigeria 🌈🌈🌈

- Nathan Freitas is the founder of , lead developer of Orbot (Tor for Android), Tech Director at Tibet Action Institute, Affiliate at Harvard Berkman-Klein Center.

- GlitterBlue is a community organizer at and works on ensuring the Internet Freedom and FOSS space more diverse and safe for everyone.

Proof:

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So I will be studying a computer networking program this year. My first two years will consist of courses in networking, routing and switching, Linux, windows, database etc (I.T related) my third year will be dedicated to cyber security (pen testing, cryptography, digital forensics, securing routers and switches, advanced security appliances, cyber incidence response, threat analysis etc).

I am also debating on studying computer science instead. I feel this program would better prepare me for cybersecurity than computer science but a few people are telling me to study CS instead. I’m not sure. Computer science is more about algorithms, programming languages etc. What’s everyone’s thoughts ?

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Came across this article from 2004, a group lobbied hard to put an end to linux, terming it as evil and a threat to national security. Microsoft founders were repeatedly bashing Linux for various reasons.

"Given that juvenile delinquents are able to find and exploit Linux security vulnerabilities in their spare time, imagine how easy it is for foreign intelligence and military services with enormous resources. And unlike juvenile delinquents, hostile agents do not revel in their success when they compromise one of our systems; they secretly collect data, passwords, encryption keys, and other intelligence. After a foreign intelligence or military service compromises one of our systems they install a back door so that even if the exploited vulnerability is eventually patched, the system will remain compromised.

"It is not too late to prevent Linux from compromising national security. So far, Linux has only been deployed in a few defense systems, but its use in the development of new defense systems is spreading rapidly. That is why we must act now. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing."

Today you can find the same kind of arguments against crypto. Everything tag from foreign controlled money to national security risks to the choice of currency for criminals has been used to describe crypto.

Coming to the attempts to ban Linux, in retrospect it seems kinda easy to see who would have benefited from Linux being banned.

Hint: Here you have Steve Ballmer of Microsoft claiming Linux is communism:

A year later, he said Linux is cancer.

Finally after fifteen years, he said he loves linux. By 2015, MSFT was well entrenched in Linux offering many of their enterprise services like Azure on Linux.

Now with crypto, while the degree of crypto adoption today can be debated, it cannot be denied that giving people custody control over their own funds instead of banks will severely threaten the retail banking industry that thrives on taking customer deposits and in return giving them a pittance as interest, while also using customer funds to make out loans to other customers. Native crypto assets and even decentralised stablecoins can firmly put an end to middlemen institutions like banks and PayPal holding customer funds hostage because "terms & services".

So you have banks flipping back and forth on crypto, calling it criminal money in 2017 but in 2022 claiming it will take the place of gold.