Comments on: Is It A Trend?

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:04:20 +0000

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:06:41 +0000

Exactly Bryan. 🙂 It’s all about patterns. If you have enough of a pattern, one can guess a lot of the rest. So we tried to avoid any patterns. Not easy. I know some of what we classified wasn’t even remotely secret. Some we just didn’t want others to know we were interested in, and some was just red herrings. 🙂 If one adds a lot of *noise* to the data, the patterns become harder to see. 🙂

We have some data here that we wanted kept secure for at least 30 years. Was a tough ask. One of my jobs was working as junior member of a team designing as good a pseudo-RNG as possible! We had 2 physicists and a mathematician (and other stranger scientists) from DSTO for over a year. I heard that as a favor to the Bush Admin, Howard ordered our intel people to stop using it. Guess why? I sure as hell hope that SOB didn’t give the data on the RNG to the USA (or anyone else!) I’d shoot the bastard myself as a traitor, with pleasure! Now I just upset myself! *sigh*

Ehhhh…

Yeah, I only accept cookies (modified) from very few sites, and others are session-only. everyone else is denied. I like looking at the logs now and then. 😉 I need a life! LOL

By: Bryan

Bryan — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 04:48:48 +0000

The people with access to quantum computing for the next decade aren’t interested in what I’m sending, or they’re wasting a lot of money.

As for encryption, if you synch two computers and change the code based on an agreed rota at agreed intervals, and decryption is of minimal value.

No code is considered unbreakable, it is given a rating based upon how long it will take for the other side to break it. The selection of the level of encryption used is based on the “shelf life” of what is being encrypted.

A lot of what is classified is not inherently secret, it is classified to prevent other people from knowing what you are interested in and what you are looking at. An amazing amount of intelligence is gathered from “open sources” that anyone could read, but you didn’t want the “other side” to know you were reading them and reporting based on what you were reading.

Kryten, I dump cookies every time I shut down the browser, and limit the sites I accept them from to an absolute minimum.

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 03:49:06 +0000

Hi Michael, 😀

I hear you m8! 😉 but disagree about the quantum computing stuff (for now). 🙂 It’s going to be some time (in spite of all the hype) before that becomes a reality. However,as you say, it does look to be useful in certain applications. I have friends in the UK (worked for Gould and others) that say they have had some very annoying issues getting quantum computing to work as they want.

And you are correct about only using encryption when absolutely necessary. I did security audits and created security plans, policies, procedures and manuals for clients. Some actually used them properly. 🙂 I used a 4 level model (I don’t believe in unnecessary complexity!) from public to top secret. Anything top secret, don’t use the public internet. 🙂

We spent much time at JIO finding ways to break various security systems. People might be horrified at how easy some were. 🙂

If you REALLY want something secret… tell no one! (and hope you don’t talk in your sleep). LOL

Cheers! 🙂

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:54:38 +0000

Time-sensitive information and authentication are what it’s best for.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:48:01 +0000

Quantum computation is a near-term or immediate reality. Take my word for this, your 8192-bit encryption won’t stand up for long.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:44:10 +0000

Mainly, the use of encryption and other privacy conserving devices are temporary measures for emergency circumstances, and ought not to be relied upon for long term security. Moreover, it increases the chance of really valuable information becoming lost altogether.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:41:48 +0000

I have found the best policy is to put your really valuable information right out in the open where everyone can see it and share it.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:40:20 +0000

I presume all networks are interfiltrated at some level at all times. This presumption may be wrong, it may be correct, but it keeps me from trusting conspiracies.

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:14:14 +0000

The old ‘one time pad’ 😉 Yes, it’s still the hardest to break, so long as nobody knows the rules you and whoever else you are swapping encrypted data with are using. Once you have more than 2 people using it, it gets weaker fast.

Yeah, The Planet! is just the endpoint network I use in the USA to decrypt all my web data. Everything is encrypted and made anonymous (certain header data modified for example, and cookies also), but it’s not perfect of course. 🙂 But with the new rules Howard put in place here, it stops my ISP keeping tabs on what I do and where I go. I actually don’t need it, I’m not doing anything online that requires it, but it’s just for experience etc so I can talk knowledgeably about it to paying customers (if I ever have any!) LOL It’s interesting to look at the stats though. For example, in the past Month, I’ve had 24,215 cookies modified. At this point, I am only changing various REFERRER fields and any fields with personally identifying data requests. That’s a lot of cookies! I notice that some annoying sites want a dozen cookies before you even see the page! LOL It also block a lot of useless ad’s and popups! A bonus. LOL Though, I do use a modded Firefox with NoScript, and AdBlock Plus with several filter lists, and other extensions (like CookieSafe and JS view). 🙂

Not that I’m paranoid or anything! 😉 LOL

You are right about the Soviets too! I met a few at functions mainly, and when they were around, my Russian friends were like wooden soldiers. I did ask my liaison friend about that, and he said simply “I like my job, and my life.” You could tell the Soviets… very, very HARD. Scary people. And now, many are running the mafia and other crime groups. Many do it because they truly believe it’s the way to bring the West down. It’s a means to an end, which is why they are so dangerous. And they may just be right.

I hope I get to the US again one day and we can catch up over a coffee (I can’t do alcohol any more). Or maybe you’d visit here one day. 🙂 Either way, would be a blast. 😀

Cheers!