Not that I think it is a good idea but if you are the NSA/FBI and
trying to track "bad guys" (however you define that) you have to admit
it is much harder these days.  You can't just put a tap on someone's
phone line because of this darn thing called the Internet.  The person
you want to track could be in any country and streaming data across
any number of other countries using multiple protocols, proxies, and
encryption techniques.

It's called asymmetric warfare and has applications across the full
spectrum of conflict, from $15 IEDs to $50 disposable cell phones to
free open source encryption software.   And most of the powers that be
don't really get it yet that you can't fight by simply putting more
money and manpower into your centers of gravity because it just makes
you that much more cumbersome and vulnerable to asymmetric attack.

Sorry for the rant - holdover from my frustrations when I was in the
military.  Gets frustrating sometimes when the previous generation
doesn't realize the world has moved on and won't get out of the damn
way.

More on topic, Truecrypt is one of the greatest software tools ever.


On Nov 15, 2007 9:31 PM, j maccraw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> That's why I like my 2-step process. Thumbdrive w/
> encryption & strong
> passphrase contains keyfiles to mount all other
> encrypted volumes. Loose the
> thumbdrive, loose access to all encrypted data on
> other drives because the huge,
> random passphrases used to create them are not known
> or written down.
>
> So I guess I'd be fracked in the UK since I would
> literally not have the key to
> give them. How fracked I can't tell since the article
> does not make mention of
> requirements for maintaining key backups to prevent
> loss. Thank god I am not in
> the UK because it sounds like you could be busted even
> if you simply lost the
> keys needed which is twisted because data is lost all
> the time to "acts of god
> and clueless mortals", LOL.
>
> Bill wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> <snip>
>
> >> A nice round of encryption for all! Start with your
> >
> >> local data, consider it with
> >
> >> email, and hopefully it's coming to a phone near
> you
> >
> >> soon. It's not paranoia any
> >
> >> more, it's the new definition of privacy!
> >
> >
> >
> > Amen.
> >
> >
> >
> > But now in the UK they're trying to chip away at
> encryption by forcing
> > individuals or businesses, under "certain
> circumstances"
> >
> > to up their encryption keys.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/01/AR2007100100511.
> > html
> >
> >
> >
> > More shuddering.
> >
> >
> >
> > Bill
>
>
>
>       
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-- 
Brian Weeden

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