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United Kingdom Linux

UK Police Deny Responsibility For Poster Urging Parents To Report Kids For Using Kali Linux (zdnet.com) 67

Posted by msmash from the what-in-the-world dept.
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has publicly said it has nothing to do with a misleading poster designed to put fear into the hearts of parents and urge them to call the police if their children are using Kali Linux. From a report: The poster, made public by Twitter user @G_IW, has reportedly been distributed by local authorities on behalf of the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (WMROCU). It appears the creators of the poster are aiming to inform parents of what dubious software to look out for if they suspect their children are up to no good on the computer. While a good and reasonable intention, the disinformation on the poster, as described by @G_IW, is "staggering." Virtual machines, the Tor Browser, Kali Linux, WiFi Pineapple, Discord, and Metasploit are all deemed terrible finds and the poster urges parents to call the cops "so we can give advice and engage them into positive diversions."
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UK Police Deny Responsibility For Poster Urging Parents To Report Kids For Using Kali Linux More

UK Police Deny Responsibility For Poster Urging Parents To Report Kids For Using Kali Linux

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  • Well, they got one thing right... (Score:5, Funny)

    by BAReFO0t ( 6240524 ) on Friday February 14, 2020 @11:06AM (#59728216)

    Discord is indeed a terrible find.

  • umm (Score:4, Insightful)

    by nomadic ( 141991 ) <nomadicworld@ g m a i l . com> on Friday February 14, 2020 @11:12AM (#59728236) Homepage

    The virtual machine and Discord thing are kind of dumb (though I would definitely monitor any child of mine that was on Discord, but not because of "hacking tips"), but isn't Kali Linux specifically designed for intrusion? I mean, isn't it reasonable that if you think your kid is doing something that could get them into trouble (and I doubt many fourteen-year-olds are being hired legally as white hat security consultants), and you aren't computer-savvy yourself, finding out from the cops what to look out for doesn't sound that bad.

    • but isn't Kali Linux specifically designed for intrusion

      Well, if you want to learn how to secure a system you'll have to learn how to break it, right?

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Minupla ( 62455 )

        I use Kali for forensics when I'm dealing with a possible intruder. It does a few things well, including emissions control. Most pentesters have a copy handy too.

    • It's what Kali is for.

    • Re:umm (Score:4, Insightful)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 ) on Friday February 14, 2020 @11:58AM (#59728492) Homepage Journal

      Kali is great when you need a live OS for some reason. It's got a lot of useful tools for fixing your system.

    • The virtual machine and Discord thing are kind of dumb (though I would definitely monitor any child of mine that was on Discord, but not because of "hacking tips"), but isn't Kali Linux specifically designed for intrusion? I mean, isn't it reasonable that if you think your kid is doing something that could get them into trouble (and I doubt many fourteen-year-olds are being hired legally as white hat security consultants), and you aren't computer-savvy yourself, finding out from the cops what to look out for doesn't sound that bad.

      It's like lock picking. Knowing how to circumvent security is not in and of itself a bad thing. Practicing at home or with friends is not bad. Wanting to know how is not bad.

      But if you bust into your kids room with a shoe box full of Kali thumb drives and demand to know "Who taught you how to do this stuff?" then you're not going to make him want to do it less. Hell, here in the US there is big grant money for teaching kids infosec.

      • But if you bust into your kids room with a shoe box full of Kali thumb drives and demand to know "Who taught you how to do this stuff?"

        "You, alright?!"

        "I learned it by watching you!" //parent facepalms

    • As others have said - why on earth would you not want your kid to know / experiment with that stuff?

      Maybe have a chat about ethical hacking but it sounds like maybe you would try and stop your kid if they were playing with Kali? Encourage it!

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      but isn't Kali Linux specifically designed for intrusion?

      Nope. It has a lot of security tools in it and one of its roles is as a tool for security testing. It does not come with actual malware.

      • I think what UK police are implying is that Kali itself is malware.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by gweihir ( 88907 )

          Turns out that they are denying to be behind this. They probably do understand better what Kali is, because their experts will be using it as well.

    • Knowing how to do all of that is a fast track to a higher pay grade, white hat or otherwise.

    • lol, but maybe how about "WOW, i have a kid that can actually get around with Kali Linux ?" instead of facebook and an xbox ? maybe its a conspiracy to gather the next-gen of cybersoldiers as they will be put in 'educational facilities' where they are brainwashed and drilled to become the nation's firewall ? or is that far-fetched? (for a conspiracy theory :p) - i know disqord is teh suck on low-end machines, its like building a supercomputer and then programming it in python ... and then like .. (wur ma

  • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Friday February 14, 2020 @11:14AM (#59728248)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • ... Adequacy.org ...

      Some of the purported signs of criminal behaviour are amusing. eg. glow-sticks and confectionery pacifiers: I remember those youth-culture fads.

      Adequacy was an interesting site: I'd describe it as a Facebook minus 'paid to click-bait' social media. There are right-wing propaganda articles but they're nowhere near the batshit-crazy of Fox Network and Prager University (not a real university). Fox Network's ideology is broadcast around the world so I don't need to introduce it.

      PragerU, was started

  • How would parents know? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Archtech ( 159117 ) on Friday February 14, 2020 @11:17AM (#59728274)

    I have never run Kali Linux, but I rather doubt whether it comes up with a big picture of Kali. Even if it did, what would that mean to the average Westerner?

    More to the point, presumably anyone capable of using Kali Linux for nefarious purposes would be able to rig a disguise for their screen.

    It would be more constructive if parents were to be urged to notify their children's use of Windows, so they could be given better advice.

    • Allows you to switch to something that looks like Windows, and back, with a single shortcut.

      Yeah, this is silly. But still dangerous fearmogering state terrorism, due to tue chilling effect.

      • Re:Kali has a built-in Windows theming mode. (Score:5, Funny)

        by PolygamousRanchKid ( 1290638 ) on Friday February 14, 2020 @12:34PM (#59728632)

        Allows you to switch to something that looks like Windows, and back, with a single shortcut.

        Teenage boys using Windows would raise alarms.

        Kali should switch to some porn, so the parents will think that everything is normal.

      • Kali is a gov't honeypot, police (mis)statements part of the cover story. :-)
        • Surely, in an ideal world, the police, government and "powers that be" would show a bit more evidence of having multiple braincells rather than this ... "Austin Powers" grade sloppy excrement?

          OK, maybe not an "ideal" world. But these organisations are meant to be, somewhat, competent. Not hilarious.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by drnb ( 2434720 )

            Surely, in an ideal world, the police, government and "powers that be" would show a bit more evidence of having multiple braincells rather than this ... "Austin Powers" grade sloppy excrement?

            OK, maybe not an "ideal" world. But these organisations are meant to be, somewhat, competent. Not hilarious.

            The sloppiness is an important part of the cover story, of "selling it". Too slick and clean and obviously its not a "hackers" project. Again, its not their internal tools, its just a honeypot. :-)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by hey! ( 33014 )

      Personally, I'd look for some piece of media labeled "Kali". Since it's a special purpose distro, unless you've dedicated a computer to the thing you're running it off a live CD or a bootable USB drive.

      There was a time when you could assume that parents would automatically be too old to understand technology, but that time is past.

  • Over-protective "parent" moaner, nothing else.
    Tor is fine but why would a 10-year-old need it? Same with all the other listed items.
    If you don't understand what the poster is telling you and you moan about it then you are beyond help.

  • If Discord is a "warning sign", so is practically every Team Collaboration software out there: Skype, Teams, Slack, Yammer, etc etc. Also, every kid out there playing PUBG and Fortnite and every other MMx is on Discord. It is the top gaming collaboration software going.

    • Use Slack - Go To Jail!

    • I'd definitely have to have a talk with my kid.
      But nor for security reasons.
      Rather because I don't want him to be mentally damaged or become a loser. :)

      Seriously, how do you people not realize that all such "team" software does, is ruin empathy and turn everyone into a sociopathic asshole? Are you already sociopathic assholes by default or what?
      Talk to each other! Face to face! Or call! Like a damn human being!
      (Unless, of course, you really are an actual Dalek.)

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by jungletek ( 6443174 )

        >Or call!

        Like the free, high-quality voice chat offered by Discord, used by millions every day? Yeah, works great.

        So what were you saying then? Methinks you protest too much. Maybe you're the fucking psychopath insisting people stick to a paradigm that you understand because you feel out of touch? I feel sorry for your kid.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • The cops could care less (Score:3)

    by Grand Facade ( 35180 ) on Friday February 14, 2020 @11:52AM (#59728454)

    They don't want to be bothered with folks ratting out their children for doing nothing wrong.

    The Cops will notify YOU if your child is doing illegal things on the interwebz.

    • Seems to me like this is just the police of the UK trying to outsource some of their work load to the subjects of the UK. After all, they have more than enough trouble making sure to fine people saying offensive things online.

  • KALI MA! (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    *reaches into the "CPU" and pulls out a beating heart*

  • Great career advertising! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by VeryFluffyBunny ( 5037285 ) on Friday February 14, 2020 @12:14PM (#59728544)

    This looks like a great way to promote and get more kids into INFOSEC, pentesting, & hacking. Man, if I'd seen a poster like that when I was a kid, I would've been working out how to dual boot Kali & play with those tools in no time!

    Well done to whoever thought this campaign up. I reckon it'll work pretty well.

  • "urge them to call the police if their children are using Kali Linux. "

    So ALL the parents who know what OS their kids use?
    Both of them?

  • You get the idea.

  • I would think they would have included evidence of any crypto currency wallet. There may be legitimate uses for them, but... they are far fewer than advocates try to push off.

  • Funny thing this morning: before I even sat down in front of the computer to drink my coffee and eat my breakfast, read the usual list of webcomics and read the news (including Slashdot), I was thinking about V For Vendetta [imdb.com], and lo and behold what do I read here? Apparent overreach and draconic bullshit from the UK government!
    For fuck's sake, using a particular linux distro doesn't make you a criminal hacker!
    Seriously, now I'm going to want to download this Kali Linux distro and run it off a USB drive just to see what all the fuss is about, if they don't want people using it then there must be something awesome about it!
    Kali Linux should thank them for the free Streisand Effect, wouldn't at all be surprised if Kali Linux usage skyrockets now.

    • Seriously, now I'm going to want to download this Kali Linux distro and run it off a USB drive just to see what all the fuss is about, if they don't want people using it then there must be something awesome about it!. Kali Linux should thank them for the free Streisand Effect, wouldn't at all be surprised if Kali Linux usage skyrockets now.

      The gov't agencies behind the honeypot named Kali thank you for your assistance. :-)

      • Let 'em. I'm not a criminal, and unless it's literally 'illegal' software (LOL), I can't be arrested unless I actually commit a crime, so FUCK THE POLICE. and their Surveillance State.

    • To be perfectly fair ... Kali linux is a piss-poor general-purpose distribution. It's not set up for entertainment use, and, indeed, it's one of the few modern linux distros where the default login upon install is root. (There's good reason for this -- most of the tools people use kali for require root to work properly.)

      But if you want to do some 'pentesting' or network traffic sniffing, network diagnosis, password cracking, or other weird, hacky shit regarding networks, well, it's a great distro. For th

  • It has to do with that TV show, Mr. Robot. I don't think the kids would come up with those software choices on their own. I always thought the software choice for the TV show a bit odd. But hey, it's TV. It would be a rare thing if children researched and settled on that as software of choice.

  • So my son is finishing his degree in Cyber security and he has that stuff installed every where .. He's also in an internship working for DOD/Air Force .... I believe he uses most of that stuff at work as well. So maybe instead of reporting their kids, the parents should be THRILLED because they MIGHT ACTUALLY BE LEARNING STUFF THAT WILL LEAD TO A JOB!!!! Never mind this is in the UK ... just go back to endless navel gazing that you might have offended some minority/race/religion/sexual orientation .

    • Never mind this is in the UK ... just go back to endless navel gazing that you might have offended some minority/race/religion/sexual orientation ...... and what the consequences of that maybe.

      Well Kali Linux is guilty of cultural appropriation so they should be banned for that reason. How could anyone but an insensitive racist use it? :-)

      • Of course you are correct!!! How insensitive of me! .... Shouldn't Ubuntu be banned as well after all a White guy 'appropriated' an African word ?? We should probably outlaw 50% of the linux distros just to be safe. We wouldn't want to unintentionally hurt some poor suffering race/minority/religion/orientation now would we??

        • Of course you are correct!!! How insensitive of me! .... Shouldn't Ubuntu be banned as well after all a White guy 'appropriated' an African word

          Absolutely, its the only just thing to do.

          We should probably outlaw 50% of the linux distros just to be safe. We wouldn't want to unintentionally hurt some poor suffering race/minority/religion/orientation now would we??

          Of course. "Red Hat", vision and color challenged insensitive. "Debian" is named after a heterosexual couple, insensitive to LGBQTIA. "Suse" is a German acronym, which thereby has ties to German fascism since they were heavy users of German acronyms.

  • 1) Use TOR
    2) Use VPN's
    3) Use Linux
    4) Hide and Encrypt your data, files and information
    5) Use TAILS on the go

    Basically the exact opposite message. We've start going after our local school board to integrate reasonable changes into their computer systems, because if someone can easily read it, track it, locate it or use it against you with little effort, then it's not good enough, and kids have to know how to manage their digital privacy from the start. You'd be shocked how many systems and software

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