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Cracking the Smartcards

Posted by michael on from the corporate-warfare dept.

hanuman writes: "So you know you're a true hacker when: 'Breaking the encryption alone would cost up to $5m. The process demanded the use of ultra-expensive electron-scanning microscopes, with the team probing wafer-thin chips no bigger than a thumbnail. Each chip contained up to 50 layers, with each layer in turn carrying up to 1,000 transistors, every one of which had to be pulled apart and analysed.'." This is a follow-up to the Vivendi vs. News Corp. story with more details about what is alleged to have occurred. Update: 03/14 12:28 GMT by M : And yet another story, which alleges that the head of security at NDS funded the website that distributed the hack for their rival's smart cards.

4 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. You know when you're a true cracker... by Kopretinka · · Score: 3, Funny

    You know when you're a true cracker: when you have a spare $5M to throw at stuff when good old social engineering doesn't work anymore. 8-)

    --
    Yesterday was the time to do it right. Are we having a REVOLUTION yet?
  2. woo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    electron microscopy?

    transistor-by-transistor analysis?

    suddenly all those l33t h@x0rs who swagger around boasting of cracking into radio shack workstations look like a bunch of punks.

  3. You know what they say... by InterruptDescriptorT · · Score: 5, Funny

    When scanning electron microscopes are outlawed, only outlaws will have scanning electron microscopes.

    Looks like it's time to confiscate all the SEMs out there.

    --
    Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
  4. Re:Not so hard by dangermouse · · Score: 5, Funny
    Bah. You could always hit the key on the first try.

    Not even hard. I'll give it a shot this afternoon.