How the Secret Service Cracks Encrypted Evidence

tabdelgawad writes "The Washington Post offers this writeup about how the U.S. Secret Service uses a Distributed Network Attack program to crack encryption on computers and drives seized as evidence. How can brute force still succeed with 256-bit encryption, you ask? Customized password dictionaries from the seized computer's email files and browser cache: People still use non-random passwords."

Comments

Re:It's like social engineering, without the perso

[darkmeridian]

Especially when all they have to do is offer them chocolate before they bust them;-)

Or especially when you can send them off to Cuba or Israel or Egypt or some other state that condones torture? We call it "rendition". (Israeli law allows torture in ticking timebomb cases and "moderate physical pressure" otherwise.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A641 70-2005Mar1.html

Re:It's like social engineering, without the perso

[ScentCone]

Nah, they just need to steal more so they become revolutionaries or businessmen

Right, right. Of course, I forgot. Anybody that starts up a business is a criminal. I keep forgetting I'm on slashdot.