Re: Unix Security - Steganography

["Curt Bryson (NTI)" <curt () FORENSICS-INTL COM>]

I agree.

This is just MHO, but I cannot see steg becoming as MUCH of an issue as many
play it up to be.

Yes, it's difficult to detect the histos, and yes it's quite a good way to
protect WHATEVER the data is, whether porn, fraud, or legitimate information
you want private.  With only a handful of pseudo-successful techniques
available to help ya find it... then what?  Once found, it is also difficult
at best to reverse or extract the info from the steg'd host.

One factor will keep steg from wide-spread and common use:  ease of use.  It
is one thing to steg something and transmit as long as it is a relatively
small job or a focused pursuit.  But humans will resist ubiquitous use of
steg on a system until such time as it becomes easy.  I recall the arcane
command line for early PGP.  I loved PGP and it's capabilities.  I hated
having to slow down and encrypt everything manually - batch files/shell
scripts became a mandatory creation, heh.  I therefore chose to protect only
that information that REALLY needed encryption.  That kind of flies in the
face of certain philosophies; but it was human nature, so I did it.

I have found that while criminals, for example, COULD steg everything
incriminating to them; they don't.  They are not without the human frailty
of laziness.  As soon as someone comes out with a transparent app, though,
then I'll concern myself a bit more with the potentials of steg.

Curt Bryson
Computer Forensics/Internet Investigations
Consultant

New Technologies, Inc.

http://www.forensics-intl.com
2075 NE Division St.
Gresham, OR 97030
Ph: (503) 661-6912
Fx: (503) 674-9145
Email: curt () forensics-intl com


-----Original Message-----
From: ISN Mailing List [mailto:ISN () SECURITYFOCUS COM]On Behalf Of Blake
Thomas M Civ AFRL/IFGB
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 10:29 AM
To: ISN () SECURITYFOCUS COM
Subject: Re: [ISN] Unix Security - Steganography


Hmmm...just FUD?  I'm really starting to wonder about the stego area.  The
Mar 01 On Magazine article has at least a little detail on steganography.
These tools are readily and cheaply available, yet Demcon has sold 100,000
copies of Steganos Security Suite.  I can't buy too far into the idea that
they are used for privacy/security alone.  If I need privacy, encryption
accomplishes that. Are they all engaging in kiddie porn? Probably not.  Is
it a big problem now?  Probably not.  Potential?  Seems like it to me...but
then I'm always looking behind me when I walk down a street.
Tom (can't have too much paranoia) Blake


> Sex, Drugs & Technology
> By Carole Fennelly

> Once upon a time, Rock music was blamed for society's ills. People
> were warned about hidden messages in The Beatles' songs. Although I
.
.
.

> Yet another story claims these tech-savvy terrorists use
> steganography, as well as cryptography, to hide their secret messages.
> Steganography is based on the notion of communicating without the
> communication being noticeable. The Greeks practiced steganography by
> writing messages on couriers' heads. People who intercepted the
> couriers, unable to find any messages in their possession, let them
> pass.  The receiving General, however, knew where to look. Presumably,
> terrorists are embedding their encrypted data in pornographic files
> (those immoral terrorists), which are then extracted and deciphered by
> the intended recipients. Despite vague references to "unnamed" sources
> and "closed door" meetings, no one has made *any* evidence supporting
> these claims publicly available. Strangely enough though, the same
> computer security company is heavily quoted in both stories.
> technology.

ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com
---
To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of
"SIGNOFF ISN".

ISN is hosted by SecurityFocus.com
---
To unsubscribe email LISTSERV () SecurityFocus com with a message body of
"SIGNOFF ISN".