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How Long to Crack an 'Encrypted' HD?
brainburger asks: "In the UK, Tony Blair has recently lost a parliametary vote to allow the police to hold terrorist suspects for 90 days without trial. One of the justifications the police gave for the extension from 14 days to 90 days was that they need the extra 76 days to decrypt the computer hard-drives of suspects. This has been seen by some as the only compelling reason to allow 90 days. The time-limit has been extended to 28 days instead, but Tony Blair insists 90 days is required. Are there really any encryption systems that cannot be cracked in 28 days, but which can be cracked in 90? Aside from the not-much-discussed issue that the police can no longer interrogate a suspect after they are charged, I suspect the police meant unencrypted machines. What do you think?"
I'd love to see how Safehouse from www.pcdynamics.com will do. Encrypt file-based real drive volumes with AES, Twofish, Blowfish, 3DES, and DES.
Kris
Kriston
is that if cracking encrypted hard disks is really that important, it would be better to simply give police enough computer power to crack the encryption in less time and avoid the civil liberties issues. Of course, giving the police that much computer power will eventually guarantee even more civil liberties issues.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
The United Kingon approaches counter-terrorism as part of a criminal investigation and has to deal with due process of law. Hence the debate over extending detention from 14 days to 90 days.
The United States approaches counter-terrorism as military action and the President signs an executive order that allows for indefinite detainment of suspects.
Fascinating. The UK has much more experience dealing with domestic terrorism -- did they originally overreact as well or are the two circumstances different from the get-go?
IIRC it's a crime in Britain to refuse to hand over encryption keys when required by the police. So why don't they just seize the hard drives and ask for the key? If the suspect gives it up, all is well. If he refuses, then the police don't need to hold him without charge for even one day, much less 90, because they now have a charge to pin on him.
It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
90 days in jail will ruin you financialy (can't go to work, so can't pay bills), so it's in your best interest to give them the passphrase and hire a lawyer while you still are solvent. Plus, they can tell the other inmates that they think you have kiddie porn on your computer and they'll let the inmates do the torturing.
90 days won't give them enough time to crack the key, but it will make you think really hard about giving them the passphrase so they let you go.
The police in the UK have far too much power as it is. Of all the democratic countries in the world we're the closest to a police state. Tony Bliar even had police chiefs lobbying on his behalf for this 90 day detention (see many of today's UK newspapers)! Police are not supposed to be involved with politics!
To give you an idea of the power they already have. I was walking home a couple of months ago. Two policeman pulled over and arrested me. The reason? I was wearing similar clothes to a burglar. Apparently fawn is a very unusual colour for a suit (it was bought from Marks & Spencer so yeah really rare). I was locked up. Because I had been arrested, the police are allowed to search my home WITHOUT A WARRANT! My wife was in the bath, heard a noise and discovered 3 policeman in our hallway. This was the first she'd heard of my arrest.
I was finally released (and my trousers returned!) when a detective sergeant decided I couldn't possibly have done it. I was, as I had told all the officers I encountered, in a meeting in another town with 10 other people and all of us have security clearance!
The police have far too many powers already! They should be cut back, not extended.
Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.