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New York lawmakers have until Friday to vote on the Keep Police Radio Public Act to prevent the NYPD and other police departments from shutting the press out of police radio access amid encryption efforts.

The legislation would provide credentialed media access to encrypted police radio channels, and compel the NYPD to allow access to New York City media that have listened to police radio channels as a source of news.

The bill, introduced in the state Senate by Mike Gianaris of Queens and picked up in the Assembly by Karines Reyes of the Bronx, must be passed by both houses on Friday, the end of the current legislative session in Albany. If it doesnt pass, it will have to be reintroduced next year.

Reyes expressed cautious optimism that the bill would move forward.

We are trying to get it through the Assembly, but it never came out of committee. We are trying to reference it to rules, she said. It may be moving in Senate, but the Senate committee had questions on the bill. We tried to get them answers. We believed it to be straightforward, but there must be a willingness to move it.

NYPD officials have opposed the bill; in the past, they have questioned the vetting of journalists credentialed by the Mayors Office of Media and Entertainment, and police officials were seeking a delay in radio transmissions.

The NYPD has yet to provide a plan for keeping the media in the loop to maintain transparency, despite their billion-dollar radio upgrade being in its sixth year. NYPD officials said they planned to have a plan after the encryption program is completed, by late 2025.

In the meantime, seven more precincts in Brooklyn were encrypted last week encompassing much of Brooklyn South areas. All eight Brooklyn North precincts were encrypted in July 2023, and four Staten Island precincts went dark back in March.

Mayor Eric Adams, while not saying he is opposed to the bill, expressed reservations at a press conference on Tuesday at City Hall.

My biggest concern, Ive said this over and over again, bad guys get access to this information. You know, bad guys that commit crimes, Mayor Adams said. This technology, if not used properly, it could be harmful. If you know [that] a police officer is responding, how they responded, how they communicated, we need to get it right. I think we can find the right balance. The New York City Police Department is going to do that.

Recently, members of the News Guild, part of the Communications Workers of America, proclaimed support for the bill, citing transparency and press access. They joined a chorus of support that includes the New York Media Consortium, a group made up of eight press organizations. However, some Guild members have expressed dismay that only the press, not the public, would get radio access in the bill.

Diane Kennedy, president of the New York News Publishers Association has been at the forefront of the effort.

As encryption of police radio communications spreads across New York City, the number of city residents losing access to real-time independent reporting on breaking news events is rising, Kennedy said. Legislation by Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Karines Reyes could roll back NYPDs work to bring 90 years of journalists ability to monitor police communications to a halt, but only if the state Legislature passes the bill before adjourning later this week.

Bruce Cotler, president of the New York Press Photographers Association also expressed hope that the bill would pass muster.

More and more, police precincts are going dark, leaving the media who depend upon the ability to know what goes on in the city, in the hands of the NYPD, Cotler said. The NYPD then controls the narrative, and then will be able to decide what is news and what is not. That was our job. We must have transparency or checks and balances will be gone.

The New York Media Consortium has sought out help from the City Council, including Speaker Adrienne Adams, who was critical of the NYPD for dragging their feet on including members of the media in communications.

At an NYPD budget hearing, Chief of Information Technology Ruben Beltran said there were operational reasons and real concerns for security that require the radio transmissions to be encrypted. He told the Council that the NYPD made 55 arrests in 2023 for unlawful possession of radio devices, and read off a list of arrested suspects. None of those were members of the media.

The Speaker was asked whether she or the council plan on taking up the issue should the legislation fail. She did not comment when asked about the issue on Tuesday.

During the March budget hearing, Speaker Adams said, There should be a happy medium herethan throwing the baby out with bathwater. However, the Council has still not taken any action to maintain transparency even as the NYPD came to the Council seeking an additional $81 million for more radios.

A spokesperson for the City Council issued a statement Wednesday:

We support the state legislature advancing a solution to maintain the transparency that is being threatened by efforts to encrypt all radio communication, which would have a negative impact on volunteer first responders, accountability and public safety.

In the past two weeks, 9,000 new radios arrived from Motorola in a no-bid contract.

The legislation would affect other police agencies who have already encrypted their radios, including the Nassau County Police who have been encrypted for several years, leaving Long Island media in the dark. In the meantime, the NYPD currently informs the press of breaking news hours after occurrence, or not at all.

Should the bill fail, Kennedy noted, it will be difficult to resurrect and give the press a lifeline into police communications.

Once the radios go dark, it will be hard to reopen them again, she said.

Mickey Osterriecher, chief counsel for the National Press Photographers Association said a failure to pass the legislation will have a negative national effect as other departments evaluate their encryption policies.

Other major cities are looking to New York to see what happens here if the NYPD is able to encrypt all radios, without any consideration for transparency or accountability, that is only going to encourage other cities to do the same, Osterriecher said. Whats unfortunate, is news organizations can care less and we cant make them do anything.

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Over and out? Keep Police Radio Public Act faces uncertain future as NYPD encryption moves ahead - amNY

The block diagrams of voice encryptiondecryption using the new hyperchaotic process are demonstrated in Fig.8 and Fig.9 respectively.

The voice encryption scheme using the new hyperchaotic system.

The voice decryption scheme using the new hyperchaotic system.

As displayed in Fig.8, the encryption process contains two levels: scrambling level and masking level, where both levels depend on the sequence generated by the proposed scheme. Chaotic scrambling is the process of transforming the original voice signal based on a particular algorithm28,29,30. This transformation can be achieved through various techniques, including mathematical transformations, encryption algorithms, or chaotic systems. In our system, the voice signal is scrambled using the x, y, z, and w sequences generated by the new hyperchaotic system according to the following equation:

$${V}_{s}=vleft(tright)+scramblingStrength*({s}_{1}* xleft(tright){.}^{p}+ {s}_{2} * y{left(tright).}^{p2}+{s}_{3}* z{left(tright).}^{p3} + {s}_{4} * wleft(tright){.}^{p4})$$

(8)

The scrambling equation introduces a more sophisticated algorithm by integrating chaos and nonlinearity into the scrambling process. Where Vs is the scrambled voice signal, v(t) is the original voice signal s1, s2, s3, and s4 represent coefficients, and p1, p2, p3, and p4, represent the power terms associated with each state variable w(t), z(t), y(t), and x(t). The power terms add an element of nonlinearity to the scrambling process, making it more complex and potentially enhancing the algorithms security. Adjusting the power terms allows for fine-tuning the scrambling strength and the degree of nonlinearity introduced into the signal. Where the scrambling strength is set to 0.9, and the values of p1 =p2=p3 =p4 =1. The secret keys used in the encryption process are s1 =s2 =s3 =s4 =1.

Then, to add a complexity to the encrypted signal, the resulted scrambled signal Vs(t) is further masked using the state variables generated from the new scheme producing the encrypted voice signal Ve(t) as follows:

$${V}_{e}left(tright)={V}_{s}left(tright)+(xleft(tright)+yleft(tright)+zleft(tright)+wleft(tright))$$

(9)

In masking level, the complete state variables are used for masking the signal to increase the security level of the proposed system.

The decryption procedure is the vice versa of the encryption procedure, it involves generating an unmask signal by subtracting the same state variables from the encrypted signal producing the signal Vd(t) as follows:

$${V}_{d}left(tright)={V}_{e}left(tright)-(xleft(tright)+yleft(tright)+zleft(tright)+wleft(tright)$$

(10)

The produced signal is then unscrambled according to the following equation:

$${V}_{r}={V}_{d}left(tright)-scramblingStrength*({s}_{1}*xleft(tright){.}^{p}+{s}_{2}*y{left(tright).}^{p2}+{s}_{3}*z{left(tright).}^{p3}+{s}_{4} *wleft(tright){.}^{p4})$$

(11)

The resulting signal Vr(t), represents the recovered voice signal. Assuming that the hyperchaotic systems in both the encryption and decryption systems are identical, have the same initial condition, and synchronized. The recovered signal Vr(t) is like the original voice signal v(t). In our system the values of coefficients terms are 0.1 for s1, s2, and s3, and 1 for s4. While the values of the power terms are 1 for p1, p2, p3, and p4, and 0.5 for the scrambling strength term.

MATLAB program was used to acquire the simulation results. The suggested systems effectiveness and security were evaluated using various tests, including waveform analysis, PRD, SNR, and correlation measurements. The voice signals use eight quantization bits at 8000Hz.

The waveforms obtained from the proposed encryption system are illustrated in Fig.10, the recovered, encrypted, and original voice signals, where the original voice transmission is entirely altered by the encrypted signal. Meanwhile, the recovered and original signals are identical.

Waveform plots for the encrypted, recovered, and original voice signals.

Figure11 depicts the histograms of the encrypted, original, and recovered voice signals. The distributed histogram indicates the randomness of the encrypted voice signal, a stark contrast to the histogram of the original and recovered voice signals, which exhibits a normal distribution, rendering it susceptible to attacks. The analysis reveals that our proposed algorithm provides robust security against various statistical attacks, affirming its efficacy in safeguarding voice communication.

The histograms for the encrypted, recovered, and original voice signals.

The Percentage Residual Deviation (PRD), Signal Noise Ratio (SNR), and Correlation Coefficient (CC) are employed to analyse the proposed schemes immunity against statistical intruders31,32,33. Table 2 displays the values that were computed for various voice signals. The (PRD) is a statistical tool used to measure the deviation between encrypted and original audio signals. Low PRD values suggest a similarity between encrypted and original signals, indicating high fidelity and minimal distortion. Conversely, high PRD values imply significant differences, potentially indicating a decline in signal integrity and increased distortion. Table 2 provides the computed percent residual deviation values for a range of original and encrypted voice signals.

One of the widely considered objective metrics for assessing the strength of the original audio signal is the signalnoise ratio (SNR). The measurements of the SNR in Table 2 are highly negative, indicating an enormous quality of the encrypted speech signals. The correlation coefficient is a numerical correlation measure between -1 and 1. Table 2 provides the calculation for various speech signals. The small value of the (CC) obtained demonstrates how severely jumbled the encrypted signal is in comparison to the original voice signal. The higher PRD values suggest a significant deviation between the encrypted and original signals. The large negative SNR value indicates that the noise power is higher than the signal power, which makes it difficult to detect. On the other hand, near-zero correlation values imply a reduced similarity between the encrypted and original signals.

A keysensitivity analysis has been conducted to assess the responsiveness of the new encryption scheme to slight variations in the key values. A small change in one key, for example, the initial value of the x state variable is changed by 0.000000000000001, will entirely deviate the decrypted signal, as shown in Fig.12, which reflects the immunity of the proposed encryption system against attacks.

Decrypted speech signal with a bit of change in the initial values0.

Utilizing the NIST 80022 test package, which is provided by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, we examined the randomness of the encrypted speech signal in this test. This research primarily aimsto test the randomness of encrypted and original voice signals. As indicated in Table 3, the tests were used to investigate the degree of randomness ofeach signal. The bit-stream of the original speech signal passed only 2 of the NIST tests. The results also suggest that the encrypted voice signal performs favorably in several statistical tests, meeting the criteria for randomness and passing certain NIST assessments.

Continue reading here:
A comprehensive study of the novel 4D hyperchaotic system with self-exited multistability and application in the voice ... - Nature.com

Once again, WhatsApp is under scrutiny for allegedly putting the data of its over two billion users at risk. Two distinctalthough entwinedstories made headlines lately and likely make you fear for your privacy.

Let's go with order. On May 22, 2024, The Intercept disclosed the content of an internal threat assessment in which WhatsApp engineers discussed some vulnerabilities that could enable government agencies to "bypass our encryption."

Three days later, it was the time for billionaire Elon Musk to take the stage, claiming from his X account that the popular messaging app "exports your user data every night."

In both instances, the Head of WhatsApp Will Cathcart turned to the social media platform to clarify such allegations. He's right about somethingWhatsApp encryption is secure and your messages are completely private. However, the two stories aren't about encryption but metadata. They aren't just about WhatsApp either, but there may be still something you can do about itlike using the best VPNs and other tricks to minimize the risk.

WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption to protect your communications. It does so by scrambling the data into an unreadable form so that no one outside the sender and receiver can access it, not even Meta itself. At the same time, though, it regularly collects some seemingly less important details attached to your messaging activitiesmetadata.

This information includes IP addresses, phone numbers, who you have spoken with, and when, among others. It may not look so important, but even such small digital traces can act as identifiers. For instance, it was exactly a piece of metadataa Proton Mail recovery emailthat led to the arrest of a Catalan activist.

As for WhatsApp's Privacy Policy, the app records a wealth of usage logs including "the time, frequency, and duration of your activities and interactions." Other identifiable data such as your network details, the browser you use, ISP, and other identifiers linked to other Meta products (like Instagram and Facebook) associated with the same device or account are also collected.

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WhatsApp logs your IP address when you use the service, too. That's interesting because your IP can be used to track down your location. As the company explained, even if you keep the location-related features off, IP addresses and other collected information like phone number area codes can be used to estimate your "general location."

WhatsApp is required by law to share this information with authorities during an investigation. Law enforcement will analyze the data to find patternsand that's something out of WhatsApp's control. "Even assuming WhatsApps encryption is unbreakable," the company memo revealed by The Intercept reads, "ongoing collect and correlate attacks would still break our intended privacy model."

The flaw that could bypass encryption is then linked to "ongoing exploitation of traffic analysis vulnerabilities." Again, the metadata. This is nothing new, though, and the company clearly states it in its policy.

Did you know?

While WhatsApp has been aware of this threat since last year, The Intercept reveals it became a contentious point inside the company after April's revelations that Israels army allegedly uses a data-centric AI tool known as Lavender to automatically choose their targets.

So, why are WhatsApp engineers worried about it just now?

The issue is that surveillance techniques are getting always more sophisticated. WhatsApps internal security team identified many instances of so-called correlation attacks where a smarter analysis of encrypted datalinked to its very much visible metadata counterpartcan evade the app's privacy protections.

Worse still, the same types of tracking, they note, work against other similar messaging apps as well.

"Todays messenger services werent designed to hide this metadata from an adversary who can see all sides of the connection," Matthew Green, a professor of cryptography at Johns Hopkins University, told The Intercept. "Protecting content is only half the battle. Who you communicate [with] and when is the other half."

Although very different in nature, also Musk's allegation refers to metadata. This time to be under scrutiny is how Meta itself uses these precious details for commercial purposes.

Again, this is clearly stated in WhatsApp's privacy policy and terms of use. "We may use the information we receive from [other meta companies], and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings," reads the policy.

This means that yes, your messages are always private, but WhatsApp is actively collecting your metadata to build your digital persona across other Meta platforms. Let's face it, how many of us have an Instagram or Facebook account?

The threat level is clearly way different between the two stories. Yet, so-called surveillance capitalism de facto undermines your privacy and security as it enables much more effective targeted advertising, third-party attacks, and even political manipulation in some instancesthink of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, for example.

The good news is that, despite how difficult it is, there are still options to cut some ties from this invasive business model.

As we have seen, strong encryption isn't enough to truly protect your communications and identity online. Another stark reminder that metadata matters, too. In case you still want to keep using your WhatsApp account, there are a few steps you can take to minimize the amount of metadata collected.

For starters, I suggest using VPN software every time you access WhatsApp. A VPN, short for virtual private network, is a tool that spoofs your real IP address. This means that you'll be able to, at least, hide this piece of metadata and make it a bit more difficult to trace back your location. A WhatsApp VPN is also vital to use the app in countries where is banned.

I also recommend turning on WhatsApp's advanced privacy feature to minimize data collection. For example, starting from last year the app lets you hide your IP during calls. To turn on the option head to the Settings tab, click on Privacy, and then Advanced. Likewise, you can opt to disable link previews to avoid sharing your IP with third-party websites. You should also manage the app permissions accordingly to allow WhatsApp to collect only essential details. This means you should turn off all optional features like your precise location.

While these steps can help reduce the amount of metadata collected, it's crucial to bear in mind that it's impossible to completely avoid metadata collection on the Meta-owned app. Most importantly, perhaps, you cannot escape cross-platform tracking in case you're using other social media platforms from the group.

For extra privacy and security, I suggest switching to the more secure messaging app Signal. Completely open-sourced, it means that everyone can check out its code for vulnerabilities.

Signal is owned by the Signal Technology Foundation, a registered non-profit that's very vocal against surveillance capitalism methods. As its Terms of Service reads, "Signal does not sell, rent or monetize your personal data or content in any wayever."

In February, Signal officially abandoned phone numbers (the only identifiable data the app required to create an account) in the name of privacy. Most importantly, Signal has been implementing a technology known as Sealed Sender since 2018 to protect your metadata. It's worth mentioning, though, that some experts found some flaws in this system but it's arguably still a step forward in the right direction.

Read more here:
WhatsApp encryption isn't the problem, metadata is - TechRadar

Project Horizon, a forward-thinking initiative still under considerable development, has recently cleared a significant technical challenge. The developers have successfully implemented full encryption, ensuring a secure foundation for their endeavor. Although decentralized artificial intelligence remains a novel and complex feat with no known successful creation to date, global efforts are continuously being pursued.

One of the latest advancements in the technological sphere comes from the realm of cryptocurrency trading. Mosaic Alpha, a pioneering trading platform in the crypto domain, counts Vidkovics Attila among its founding members. Attila, an innovator and thought leader, shared valuable insights during a conversation with Andor-Tth Anna in the Kriptoverzum segment shedding light on the intricacies and developments within the competitive landscape of digital currencies and decentralized technologies.

The breakthroughs and discussions surrounding Project Horizon and platforms such as Mosaic Alpha highlight the dynamic nature of tech industries, where encryption and decentralized systems are setting new standards for privacy and autonomy in the digital age. As pioneers in the space bridge theoretical complexities with tangible solutions, the future of secure and decentralized digital infrastructure looks increasingly promising.

Key Questions & Answers Related to Project Horizons Encryption Milestone:

Q: What is the significance of full encryption for Project Horizon? A: Full encryption is crucial for any digital project as it ensures the confidentiality and security of data. For Project Horizon, it means that any information or transaction within the system cannot be accessed or deciphered by unauthorized parties, which is especially important for a project involving decentralized artificial intelligence.

Q: Are there any specific challenges associated with implementing full encryption in a decentralized AI context? A: One of the main challenges is balancing security with performance. Encryption can sometimes slow down processes, which could be a significant factor when dealing with complex AI computations that require speed and efficiency. Additionally, the decentralized nature of the project adds complexity to the encryption protocols, as these need to be robust enough to secure data across a potentially vast and disparate network.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Encryption:

Advantages: Enhanced Security: Full encryption greatly reduces the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access, which is essential for maintaining the privacy and protection of users information. Trust: It builds trust among users and investors, as it demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding data integrity and securing communications. Compliance: Full encryption helps in meeting various regulatory requirements that mandate the protection of sensitive data.

Disadvantages: Complexity: Implementing robust encryption can add complexity to the development process, potentially increasing the time and cost to market. Performance Impact: Encryption algorithms can impact system performance, potentially slowing down operations which could be critical in time-sensitive applications. Management: Managing keys and encryption protocols can be challenging, especially as the system scales and evolves.

Related Discussions and Controversies:

Theres an ongoing discussion on the trade-off between security and usability with full encryption. While some argue that security should never be compromised, others believe that too much security might make the system less user-friendly, potentially hindailing adoption rates. Moreover, controversies around encryption often revolve around the inability of law enforcement agencies to access encrypted data, even when they have legitimate reasons.

For more information on encryption and decentralized technologies, you may refer to The Electronic Frontier Foundation for a broad overview of digital privacy issues. For insights into cryptocurrency trading platforms and trends like those discussed by Mosaic Alpha, an authoritative source would be CoinDesk. Please note that links should be verified for accuracy before use, as they might change over time.

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Project Horizon Achieves Major Milestone with Full Encryption - elblog.pl