Wikileaks death: Dutch hacking expert 'had kayaking accident'

submitted by r721 from dw.com

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[–][deleted]  (10 children)

[deleted]

    [–]Mnemonic 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

    He was a renowned cyber-security-expert, here a TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVVlCozNcCw

    [–]sodasplash 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

    Some people are loud and proud.

    [–]Ian 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

    How do you mean, in general or while on vacation?

    [–][deleted]  (2 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]Ian 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

      He was a public person before he got involved with WL afaik, he provided security solutions for journalists and dissidents (which is something that paints a target on anyones back, WL or not).

      [–][deleted] 0 insightful - 1 fun0 insightful - 0 fun1 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

      Well tbh Computers have very good government spyware know a days You can only be safe by building your own computer and motherboard from legit scratch scrap metal and sand

      [–]Ian 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      Open source is the solution and it's coming, step by step. There's already open source operating systems and devices that tries to negate the problem and open source processors are on the horizon.

      Sure the complexity will make so nasty code can still hide in the system but it's a whole new ballgame.

      [–]Mnemonic 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      RIP either way, either in death or when he has successfully faked his death rip at least one cigar or some relaxing herb.

      [–]FormosaOolong 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

      So we're supposed to believe that the guy had his phone and computer (I guess in a dry bag, if the people who found it were able to call from it) on the kayak with him, but when he noticed a leak in tho kayak, he didn't try to call for help?

      [–]Ian 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

      One of the big problems at sea is that people literally aren't watching where they're going.

      On small ships there's lookouts to watch out for the large, autopiloted ships that often has ONE guy on the bridge, hopefully minding his job and not sipping coffee while he reads a book or takes a break. The longest time I've seen a freighter take to respond to radio calls is 15 minutes and roughly a few minutes from disaster.

      On large ships they have radars that picks up medium large ships and lookouts to spot small ships and floating debris that can damage the large ship. Sometimes they simply don't see small ships, particularly in dark or rough conditions. Most times there's only one lookout and sometimes he needs a quick toilet break.

      It's a problem to the point where marine shops sells extra radar reflectors to mount on your small vessel to increase your chances of showing up on larger ships.

      While I consider the chances of foul play to be high, I have no doubt he could have been hit by a larger vessel that never even noticed, breaking his flimsy plastic boat while his hardened, watertight safebox or soft and bendable drybag floats on.

      Much more likely than a small leak that made him sink imo

      [–]FormosaOolong 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

      These are great points. The article said though that "a kayak with a hole in the hull" was found. Do you think a vessel large enough not to see him would just make a hole, rather than rend the thing into pieces? (Actually asking, not doing snark.)

      [–]Ian 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      After examining the image of the actual kayak (https://gfx.nrk.no/0YYIciOiuCrv_TPKW-N76wDUvrHDRL-5xpLrwN_0YNzw.jpg) we can see that it's a foldable kayak with an opening at what appears to be the back end.

      I'd say that's consistent with someone paddling away from something that bumped his kayak so hard the fasteners split right open, filling it with water in less that a second.

      But even if that's what happened that doesn't say anything about intent...

      [–]sodasplash 1 insightful - 4 fun1 insightful - 3 fun2 insightful - 4 fun -  (1 child)

      shush with your logic

      [–]FormosaOolong 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

      haha! i had to funvote that one :)

      [–]sodasplash 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

      I didn't know one could go North of the Arctic Circle.