I don't understand the mandatory kill switch in cell phones
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ahmed zahmed wrote:
And they're making that decision at the behest of customer's ire at being the victims of crime.
That would be the right reason, but the action taken also has to be the right one. This kill switch idea would cost an incredible amount to implement and enforce, but workarounds for bad guys (who either want to steal phones or kill their victims' phones) would require a trivial amount of effort.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Mark_Wallace wrote:
This kill switch idea would cost an incredible amount to implement and enforce,
Not so. It's a simple thing for phone vendors (Samsung, Apple) to implement and provide. In fact, it's already available on some phones, but the carriers refuse to enable it.
Mark_Wallace wrote:
workarounds ... would require a trivial amount of effort.
I don't believe that's true. The only workaround would be to turn the phone off. As soon as you turn it on, *boom* it blows up. The other possibility is to do surgery on the phone to remove the chip, but that's too much effort.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein -
Can someone explain it to me? Currently, all phones have a network radio with a unique identifier making it trivial for any and all networks to not allow access to stolen phones. So why is a mandatory kill switch that is capable of deleting data required since the technology already supports it? Even with a SIM card you still have the radio on the phone. Next will we have mandatory kill switches on Laptops?
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost "All users always want Excel" --Ennis Lynch
Unique identifiers on phones can be changed by flashing, but yeah, you're right, it should be trivial for network operators to block such devices from being used on their networks. I think that a kill switch is a good idea, but it could be abused by governments or resourceful hackers.
CEO at: - Rafaga Systems - Para Facturas - Modern Components for the moment...
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Can someone explain it to me? Currently, all phones have a network radio with a unique identifier making it trivial for any and all networks to not allow access to stolen phones. So why is a mandatory kill switch that is capable of deleting data required since the technology already supports it? Even with a SIM card you still have the radio on the phone. Next will we have mandatory kill switches on Laptops?
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost "All users always want Excel" --Ennis Lynch
It is trivial for networks to not allow the phones onto the network, yes, but that's only part of the question. You mention deleting data, which is the rest of the issue. The existence of a mere network identifier doesn't make it possible to actually delete anything or prevent the phone from booting up, reading data, using WiFi, and so on, it only works to keep the phone from working as a phone.
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Mark_Wallace wrote:
This kill switch idea would cost an incredible amount to implement and enforce,
Not so. It's a simple thing for phone vendors (Samsung, Apple) to implement and provide. In fact, it's already available on some phones, but the carriers refuse to enable it.
Mark_Wallace wrote:
workarounds ... would require a trivial amount of effort.
I don't believe that's true. The only workaround would be to turn the phone off. As soon as you turn it on, *boom* it blows up. The other possibility is to do surgery on the phone to remove the chip, but that's too much effort.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einsteinahmed zahmed wrote:
Not so.
'Fraid so. Making it mandatory means monitoring by and clearance from external entities -- yet another thing for governments to stick their noses into and profit from.
ahmed zahmed wrote:
The only workaround would be to turn the phone off.
Yup, and no-one will ever be able to copy encrypted DVDs, or hack games.
ahmed zahmed wrote:
As soon as you turn it on, *boom* it blows up.
Something has to be loaded to issue the kill command, no? Hacked within three days. Betcha.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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ahmed zahmed wrote:
Not so.
'Fraid so. Making it mandatory means monitoring by and clearance from external entities -- yet another thing for governments to stick their noses into and profit from.
ahmed zahmed wrote:
The only workaround would be to turn the phone off.
Yup, and no-one will ever be able to copy encrypted DVDs, or hack games.
ahmed zahmed wrote:
As soon as you turn it on, *boom* it blows up.
Something has to be loaded to issue the kill command, no? Hacked within three days. Betcha.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Mark_Wallace wrote:
'Fraid so.
I never said anything about mandatory, I'd much rather voluntary. But since the carriers are being too greedy and stoopeed then the threat of mandatory is making them do the "voluntary".
Mark_Wallace wrote:
no-one
Nothing's perfect! Even the locks on your doors only keep your friends out and the casual and inept burglar.
Mark_Wallace wrote:
loaded to issue the kill
No. A simple radio signal reception will do.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein