Cracking the Smartcards

Posted by michael on Wednesday March 13, 2002 @09:33PM 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.

2 of 215 comments (clear)

You know what they say... by InterruptDescriptorT · 2002-03-14 01:48 · 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.

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Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
Re:Not so hard by dangermouse · 2002-03-14 04:10 · 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.