Re: TJX breach shows that encryption can be foiled

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Brock N. Meeks" <bmeeks () cox net>
Date: April 1, 2007 6:32:01 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] TJX breach shows that encryption can be foiled

Sigh... hasn't this been the case forever?  What is new or shocking or
revealing in this latest episode?

I remember (way back) when we were fighting the "crypto wars," when  
good ol'
Louie Freeh was head of the FBI (under Clinton, boy did that aspect  
of his
administration just chap my hide...) and Louie would ALWAYS trot out the
"criminals, pedophiles and terrorists" line in every testimony before
Congress when he spoke about the need for the government  
(specifically the
FBI) to have a government approved "backdoor" for any and all encryption
technologies.

"Pretty soon we won't be able to catch the bad guys anymore," Louie  
would
say (with a straight face, I might add), if we aren't allowed to have a
special key to crack the bad guys encryption techniques.

But the FBI had a dirty little (not so secret) secret:  in every case  
where
the FBI had encountered encryption, the bureau had always gotten  
around the
"good ol' fashion way" by breaking down some HUMAN that knew the keys or
PAYING OFF a human that knew the keys.

Carbon-based life forms have always been the weak link in the DNA of
encryption.


On 4/1/07 9:45 AM, "David Farber" <dave () farber net> wrote:

> From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
> Date: March 31, 2007 6:38:56 AM PDT
> Subject: TJX breach shows that encryption can be foiled

> TJX breach shows that encryption can be foiled

> By Ross Kerber, Globe Staff  |  March 31, 2007
> The Boston Globe


> TJX spokeswoman Sherry Lang declined to elaborate on the document,
> but outside security consultants say the language hints that a
> company employee or contractor, or someone known by an employee or
> contractor, was able to gain access to TJX's computers and obtain the
> formula needed to unscramble data.



-------------------------------------------
Archives: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/247/@now
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com