Mesh networks are much better for organizing because they’re just fundamentally more secure and much more difficult to disrupt. Since the data doesn’t go through the internet, you actually have to be part of the mesh to see it.
In what context would you recommend using this in organizing? The barrier to entry is high enough that it wouldn’t be the main channel for most folks. Maaaybe for particularly sensitive discussion between a few folks? But then they should probably just meet in person.
fundamentally more secure
Needing to be part of the network doesn’t seem inherently more secure from a stingray-style mitm attack. Encryption is what provides security, and the encryption isn’t fundamentally different from e.g. signal. From what I can tell, this seems to provide security through obscurity.
I guess I’m mostly not convinced that this is inherently more secure than signal vs an adversary targeting a specific conversation, as long as that adversary is in the same general area.
I’m not familiar with the underlying stack, and it’s possible that selecting a specific route to avoid the mitm somehow helps (tor-style routing…?), but even then you’re still transmitting over rf and an adversary can listen in. In that case, we’re just back to security hinging on encryption, which e2ee apps also use.
more difficult to disrupt
Maybe with a sufficiently dense network, but tracking down and disabling nodes is feasible.
Shutting down the entire internet, even if we assume it’s easier logistically, is much more disruptive to the general population. Shutting down the mesh network only affects those on the network, and would be unnoticeable to virtually everyone.
That said, I could imagine a scenario where it’s deemed acceptable to shut down the internet but mesh networks are still functioning (at least for a while)… but it’s a very dark scenario. Unfortunately not out of the realm of possibility, though.
Security is a concern of course, but think about resiliency too. If a natural disaster knocks out the grid, mutual aid networks could leverage solar powered nodes to maintain comms.
Mesh networks are much better for organizing because they’re just fundamentally more secure and much more difficult to disrupt. Since the data doesn’t go through the internet, you actually have to be part of the mesh to see it.
(Pushing back for the sake of understanding)
In what context would you recommend using this in organizing? The barrier to entry is high enough that it wouldn’t be the main channel for most folks. Maaaybe for particularly sensitive discussion between a few folks? But then they should probably just meet in person.
Needing to be part of the network doesn’t seem inherently more secure from a stingray-style mitm attack. Encryption is what provides security, and the encryption isn’t fundamentally different from e.g. signal. From what I can tell, this seems to provide security through obscurity.
I guess I’m mostly not convinced that this is inherently more secure than signal vs an adversary targeting a specific conversation, as long as that adversary is in the same general area.
I’m not familiar with the underlying stack, and it’s possible that selecting a specific route to avoid the mitm somehow helps (tor-style routing…?), but even then you’re still transmitting over rf and an adversary can listen in. In that case, we’re just back to security hinging on encryption, which e2ee apps also use.
Maybe with a sufficiently dense network, but tracking down and disabling nodes is feasible.
Shutting down the entire internet, even if we assume it’s easier logistically, is much more disruptive to the general population. Shutting down the mesh network only affects those on the network, and would be unnoticeable to virtually everyone.
That said, I could imagine a scenario where it’s deemed acceptable to shut down the internet but mesh networks are still functioning (at least for a while)… but it’s a very dark scenario. Unfortunately not out of the realm of possibility, though.
Security is a concern of course, but think about resiliency too. If a natural disaster knocks out the grid, mutual aid networks could leverage solar powered nodes to maintain comms.