IP: Paging Mr. Liddy! Janet Reno wants you

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1999 16:52:45 -0400
> To: apowell () freedomforum org
> From: jnk <jnk () dragonheart net>
> Subject: Re:Paging Mr. Liddy! Janet Reno wants you
>
> This is a despicable idea of the DOJ.
>
> Everyone seems to think that the feds would use a software hack to monitor
> their activity... Nah. The technology has existed for a long time to pick
> up screen images and cpu and data transfers from as much as a mile away
> using the radiated RF energy generated by a normal PC.  (see Tempest
> military protocol for security measures). But this method requires a van,
> personnel and about $15000 worth of equipment. I know that the equipment
> can be "made" cheaper but Im talking off the shelf equipment.
>
> The easiest hack and least expensive would be to... break into the home
> (bad bad bad boys) copy the hard drive with the encrypted data.  Replace
> the keyboard connector (and of course they would have the full panoply of
> all vendors connectors to choose from) with a radio transmitter and wait to
> capture the keystrokes you type to access your files by placing a simple
> receiver with solid state storage out/in your telephone box or Electric
> meter outside, then pick up the reciever/keyboard data recorder
> periodically. Total equipment cost would be less than $150.  This is
> obviously a much cheaper method than continuos monitoring which easily
> starts at $100,000 for a typical wire tap and monitoring personnel. Also
> the more files you have encrypted the less time they'd have to wait to
> capture your passwords because you access them more frequently.
>
> I could see this coming from as far back as 15 years ago. The government is
> the most paranoid of us all. Their thinking is  "Those who encrypt must
> have something to hide and we must find out what it is."   The thought
> police are here and they wont knock they'll sneak in when we are gone and
> steal our thoughts.  The government will keep trying until they know the
> thoughts and conversations of all people to protect us from ourselves and
> to continue their idea of government.  Our job is to beat the drum loudly
> when someone suggests something that steps over the line. This is a
> chilling of free speech knowing that such powers could/may exist. A sad day
> and sorry idea.
>
> ====
> After thinking some more on this..
>
> Here is an addendum to the ideas I posted before about using the keyboard
> plug as the transmitter.
>
> The keyboard plug is NOT REPLACED!  A small wafer of black Bakelite about
> 1 to 2 millimeters thick with the transmitter circuitry embedded is slid
> onto and inside your existing keyboard plug and snugged up against the
> inside with holes in it that match the normal keyboard pins. Remember this
> is an industry standard and only two types are needed.
>
> The monitoring 'device' would require no batteries because it receives free
> electricity because your keyboard is powered by 5 volts.  WHO would notice
> the keyboard connector is 1 to 2 mm out further????
>
> How much storage would the receiver need?? Not much. How many characters do
> you type each day. All of Shakespeare's works only occupies 5 meg.  Why
> they could then boot up a system with your copied software and data and
> PLAY BACK what you were doing from the stored keyboard data.
>
> This idea of course is a take off on the replacing the mouth piece on a
> phone with a transmitter and getting its power from the phone company.
>
> Of course they would have to turn the machine off to do this... But how
> many times have you sat down at your computer and it is froze? In this case
> it gives the Blue screen of Death or they just load it up to appear frozen?
> UPS system or not you reboot and merrily re-input your passwords... and
> they record every keystroke.
> And play them back on your copy of your hard drives and watch you access
> everything.
>
> sign me as a long time computer nerd and electronics buff.
>
>
>
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