CipherVerse

Ian Birrell is a renowned British journalist, columnist, and foreign correspondent, known for his work on global conflicts, social justice, and political reform.

In this episode, we discuss the failures of the prison system, whether it's true purpose is punishment or rehabilitation, and how countries like Norway and Texas are tackling recidivism with innovative approaches. We also get into Bitcoin’s role in empowering activists, the impact of social media on political tribalism, and Elon Musk’s controversial approach to free speech as well as the rise of political extremism, the decline of critical thinking, and the challenges of addressing the war on drugs and reforming criminal justice systems.

Ian Birrell on Prison Reform, Global Conflicts, Free Speech & Nostr - MOB009

Ben Arc is an open-source developer and an advocate in the Bitcoin and Nostr ecosystems.

In this episode, we discuss the shift from centralized platforms like Twitter to decentralized systems, discussing how Nostr allows users to control their data and build communities without corporate interference. We get into Bitcoin’s evolution, synthesizing libertarian and socialist ideologies, the future of soft currencies, and the role of CBDCs in global economies. We also talk about the cultural significance of local currencies like the Welsh pound, the importance of free speech in a digital age, and how AI is transforming both daily life and the future of podcasting.

Decentralising Freedom: Bitcoin, Nostr and Artificial Intelligence with Ben Arc - MOB010

Izabella is the Senior Finance Editor at Politico and the founder editor of The Blind Spot. 

In this episode, we discuss the rapid advancement of AI, including how tools like ChatGPT are transforming journalism, the ethics of AI, its role in uncovering hidden information, and whether full transparency will lead to societal improvements or chaos. We also discuss economic stagnation, the collapse of the middle class, and the impact of inflation on daily life. We also get into the over-regulation in Europe, how it’s falling behind in technological innovation, and the parallels between modern challenges and historical examples of power structures and corruption.

The AI Takeover: Media, Money, and the New World Order with Izabella Kaminska - MOB011

David Zell is the Executive Director of the Bitcoin Policy Institute, a think tank focused on the public policy implications of Bitcoin.

In this episode, we discuss the political landscape surrounding Bitcoin, its role as an insurance policy for both individuals and nation-states, how Bitcoin competes against traditional currencies, the global demand for stable money, and its implications for U.S. geopolitical strategy, especially in contrast to authoritarian regimes like China. We also discuss the politicisation of Bitcoin, potential regulatory threats, and how Bitcoin's existence challenges traditional financial systems.

The Separation of Money and State with David Zell - MOB012

Winston Marshall is a musician, cultural commentator, and former member of the band Mumford & Sons. 

In this episode, we discuss his journey from rock star to cultural commentator, the challenges of holding conservative opinions in the entertainment industry, and his exit from Mumford & Sons. We also get into the failures of corporate media, the rise of alternative media through podcasts, and the impact of political realignment in the U.S. and the UK. We also cover the ongoing struggle for free speech, the role of populism, and the future of liberty in a world increasingly dominated by censorship and ideological conformity.

Winston Marshall on Free Speech, Censorship, Cancel Culture and UK Politics - MOB013

Alex Gladstein is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation and a leading advocate for Bitcoin's role in promoting freedom.
In this episode, we discuss his work empowering activists under authoritarian regimes, the structural issues facing human rights funding, and how technology like Bitcoin are transforming the fight for liberty. We also get into the impact of peer-to-peer networks like Nostr, the evolution of Ecash, and the digital arms race between oppressive governments and freedom technologies. We cover forgotten global conflicts, the role of Western democracies, and how Bitcoin helps people survive hyperinflation and financial oppression.

Technology Powered Freedom with Alex Gladstein - MOB014

Mike Brock is a political commentator, writer, and former executive.

In this episode, we explore the dynamics of power politics versus distributive politics, the transformation of the Republican Party under Trump, and the struggle to uphold liberal values in a rapidly changing political climate. We dive into the role of economic incentives in shaping political actions, examine government corruption, and analyze the escalating U.S.-China economic rivalry. Additionally, we discuss how media influences public perception and why Mike sees the centre-left as perhaps the last hope for sustaining capitalism.

Trump vs Kamala with Mike Brock - MOB016

Peter St Onge is an Economist at the Heritage Foundation and a Fellow at the Mises Institute.

In this episode, we discuss the challenges posed by government overreach, and the intricacies of the bureaucracy-politician dynamic. We get into how historical developments have influenced current political structures and the role of debt and its impact on economic growth. Peter also shares his thoughts on the possibility of reforming the current system, from central banking to taxation, and the path to a more efficient government.

Peter St Onge: Liberty, Central Banks, Sound Money & Free Speech - MOB017

Joseph Robertson is a political commentator and advocate focused on free-market economics and personal sovereignty.

In this episode, we discuss the shifting political landscape in the UK, examining the impact of recent budgets on various social classes and the ideological shift from conservatism to socialism. Joseph and I explore the role of debt, inflation, and economic illiteracy among voters in shaping current policies, as well as the influence of career politicians who lack real-world experience. We also discuss the potential for Bitcoin as a hedge against financial overreach and the implications of regulation on self-sovereignty.

Joseph Robertson: Debt, Inflation, Culture, Cost of Living & Regulations - MOB018

Dr. Tarik Sammour is a colorectal surgeon specialising in advanced bowel cancer and has worked across various healthcare systems, including in Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

In this episode, we explore the complexities of modern healthcare systems and the impact of healthcare inflation on patient outcomes and accessibility. We get into the differences between public and private healthcare models, discussing the benefits and drawbacks of hybrid systems and the unique challenges of funding healthcare sustainably. Tarik shares his experiences with administrative burdens, rising costs, and the ethical dilemmas posed by pharmaceutical influence. We also discuss the broader societal issues, from obesity trends to the role of sound money, and the potential for a more balanced approach to healthcare.

Tarik Sammour: Healthcare, Big Pharma, Inflation & Outcomes - MOB019

On June 10, The Institute of World Politics welcomed Andres Kütt, Head Software Architect, and Liina Areng, Head of International Relations, both of the Estonian Information System Authority to speak on the state of cyber security globally, as well as their country’s pioneering transition to electronic governance. Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng generously offered their time and expertise to inform the IWP community about the importance of a rapidly changing cyber landscape. 

Mr. Kütt told the audience how there is a constant war being waged between the governments, corporations, and organizations that secure private data and the rogue criminal hackers who seek to steal it from their databases. In reality, he said, there is not a guaranteed method of securing online data in this modern era. Rather, there are differing levels of coding sophistication and mathematical formulas by which cryptographers and cyber attackers engage in their web-based warfare. 

Mr. Kütt explained how, essentially, this worldwide data conflict is driven by secure codes and encryptions that protect data and the efforts by rogue states or actors to disrupt them. Time, he says, is the worst enemy of cryptographers, as their electronic battlements are constantly under siege. The most effective way to mitigate the risk of cyber attack, he noted, is to hire the most talented pool of cyber defenders. 

Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng informed the audience that governments are at the forefront of the cyber challenges that face the 21st century. The Republic of Estonia in particular has been a global leader in so-called “E-governance,” transforming their Baltic nation of 1.3 million into a cyber powerhouse. Estonia, they report, has been highly successful in its endeavor to render the services and obligations of government into electronic models. For example, Estonia is the only one of its kind in the world to have institutionalized E-voting in national elections. This kind of groundbreaking civic engagement, the speakers emphasized, is dependent on a high degree of trust in its accuracy and incorruptibility. 

Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng explained how the Estonian government relies on its advanced corps of citizen-cryptographers. The Cyber Defense League was established in 2010 as a response to the unprecedented cyber attacks on the country years earlier. This organization of volunteer cryptographers serves the national cyber defense by donating their talents in service to Estonia. 

Mr. Kütt and Ms. Areng went on to explain the interconnectedness of the digital ecosystems that populate the Internet. What affects one facet of the web is sure to translate into tangible consequences for the other. Further, the immense difficulty in identifying the origins of a cyber attack means that a coherent, reliable encryption is increasingly the only viable avenue of defense. 

Cryptography And Trust- Estonia And The Modern Information Society

Information Security
 1. Introduction
  ○ Security by obscurity
   § Steganography
    □ Hiding data inside another form of data, like using non-used bits in image to hide a message
     § Cool, but not practical.
     § Disadvantages
      ◊ Algorithm secrecy vs. key secrecy
  ○ Cryptography is everywhere and yet if done right, you can barely see it.
  ○ Goals: 
   § Confidentiality
    □ Secrets stay secret.
   § Integrity
    □ Data is not tampered with.
   § Non-Repudiation
    □ No party can deny sending messages.
   § Authentication
    □ Each party can ensure that the sender is what they expect.
  ○ Cryptography
   § Hashing
   § Encryption
   § Signing
   § Protocols
  ○ Random Number Generators
   § Extremely important, almost all encryption/hashing strength is affected by how random the random number generator is.
   § Don't use simple random number, use a cryptographic random number generator with a sophisticated source of entropy.
   § Pseudorandom number generator
   § Dual_EC_DRBG random generator backdoor
 2. Body
  ○ Hashing (one Way)
   § Properties
    □ Fixed length output no matter what size the input was
    □ Very easy to compute the hash of a given message, however very hard to compute from a hash the corresponding input.
    □ Mathematically infeasible to generate a message that has a given hash
    □ Any modification to a message produces a completely different hash that has no relationship to the original message's hash.
    □ It is mathematically infeasible to find two messages with the same hash. Hash Collision
   § Hashing Functions
    □ Provides data integrity, however lacks authentication
    □ Examples
     ® MD5 
      ◊ Considered Insecure
     ® Secure Hash Family SHA-X, Sha-1, Sha-2 [Sha256, Sha512], Sha-3
      ◊ Sha-1 is considered insecure.
      ◊ Sha-1, Sha-2 designed by NSA
      ◊ Sha-3 is not designed by NSA, Competition winner.
    □ Attacks
     ® Brute force
      ◊ CPU's are getting faster and cheaper every day.
      ◊ GPU's are getting faster and cheaper every day.
      ◊ Special Hash calculating hardware is becoming more available especially with the BitCoin push.
     ® Rainbow table attacks
      ◊ Pre-Calculated tables where you can reverse lookup a hash to a value
      ◊ Try www.crackstation.net
   § Hash Message Authentication Codes (HMAC)
    □ Adds authentication to integrity
    □ Can be used with all previous algorithms, HMACMD5, HMACShA1, HMAC256 … etc.
   § Salted Hash
    □ Adds random salt to mitigate rainbow table
    □ Salts are unique per record, and not a secret.
   § Password Based Key Derivation Function (PBKDF2)
    □ RSA Public Key Cryptographic Standard PKCS #5 Version 2.0
    □ Internet Engineering Task Force RFC 2898 Specification
     ® Adds a lot of iterations to slow it just enough to mitigate brute force (default 50,000 iterations)
     ® Adds random salt to mitigate rainbow table
    □ Disadvantage: It can be easily implemented with hardware which makes it vulnerable to bruteforce even with high number of iterations
   § Bcrypt
    □ Password Hashing function
    □ State of the art password hashing
   § Usages
    □ Integrity Check
Password Storage

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EP46 - AskDeveloper Podcast - Cryptography - Part 1 - Introduction and Hashing

#3 John Pacific of NuCypher | Applied Cryptography, Adversarial Thinking & Arbitrary Computation on Encrypted Data

#3 John Pacific of NuCypher | Applied Cryptography, Adversarial Thinking & Arbitrary Computation

Interview location: Palo Alto
Interview date: Thursday 31st Jan, 2018
Company: Cryptomathic
Role: Cryptographer and Security Expert

A number of pioneers developed the cryptographic and technical foundations for which Bitcoin is built upon. Nick Szabo highlighted a number of these people in his Tweet:

“Inventors of the most important technologies in Bitcoin: digital signatures and Merkle trees (Merkle), elliptic curve crypto (Koblitz), malicious-fault-tolerant consensus (Lamport), elliptic curve crypto (independent inventor: Miller).”

Many others along the way have contributed to the success of Bitcoin, either through early work or attempts at created a digital currency, names such as Adam Back, David Chaum and Szabo himself.

Whitfield Diffie sits alongside all of these people. His work on cryptography should not be forgotten in the history of Bitcoin and I had the pleasure of sitting down with him to discuss this, how he was introduced to Bitcoin and other such topics as privacy and security.

The What Bitcoin Did Podcast

Whitfield Diffie on the History of Cryptography

The pending cryptographic Quantum Apocalypse requires that we replace the hashing and encryption algorithms used through the internet, enterprise networks, mobile service, and popular devices. Join our experts to learn more about the requirements for quantum-resistant algorithms to survive the Quantum Apocalypse.

Root Causes 06: Quantum-Resistant Cryptography

The media lies, governments mismanage, and our financial systems are failing us. In Mr Obnoxious, Peter McCormack explores the new frontier of tech, money and governance.

Founder of EPIC Knowledge Society and SPACE Creative Culture Labs. I am a Futurist and Data Scientist with Professional Mastery and Pragmatic Insights on Digital Transformation and Innovation Management with extensive credentials on Digital Enterprise Architectures, Crypto Economics, Customer Experience Design, Social Entrepreneurship Incubation, Business Model Innovation, Innovation Ecosystems, Innovation Analytics, Innovation Consulting, Social Business Networks, Academic Research Networks, Industrial Research Alliances, New Service Incubation, New Product Incubation, New Platform Innovation, High performing Teams, Cross Competency Innovation etc.

Whitfield Diffie on the History of Cryptography

Mr Obnoxious

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