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Microsoft Helps Police Crack Your Computer
IGnatius T Foobar writes "Microsoft has developed a small plug-in device that investigators can use to quickly extract forensic data from computers that "may have been used in crimes." It basically bypasses all of the Windows security (decrypting passwords, etc.) in order to eliminate all that pesky privacy when the police have physical access to your computer. Just one more reason not to run Windows on your computer."
Seems to me that if all you need to do to get full access to anyones computer (anyone running Windows that is) is a Microsoft made device; that is a serious security flaw.
The Long Now Foundation
Reverse engineering and (more) malicious usage in 3... 2... 1.
...bypasses all of the Windows security... All of the Windows security - I can't even fathom how complex that device must be, that sure is a lot of security to bypass.Anyone can boot from a Knoppix live CD and mount NTFS drives in Linux and poke around. NTFS security is not applied under Linux so you can have a look at anything you want. I don't see how this is a big deal.
The only thing that might be a problem is browsing the registry, but I wonder if wine's regedit can load native Windows registry hives. If so, then all Microsoft has done is taken existing Linux functionality and made it user friendly for the police.
Speaking of which, anyone wanna place bets as to how long it takes for this tool to spread across p2p and torrent sites?
No unix using a non-encrypted file system is secure if you have physical access to the machine...Why would you assume it's any different with Windows?
I'd just boot knoppix and mount the partition. There, I have access to all the files. That goes for windows AND unix/linux.
If you really depend on the password for anything other than stopping casual or remote access, you're just fooling yourself.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
So, the sheer fact that there is a device that can do this also means that anybody can do this because the methods are in place for bypassing security. It's only a matter of time before someone spends enough energy to develop a device that can do this (outside of Microsoft).
No. The ONLY question that is of any interest is whether or not this device actually has a back door to Windows encryption. Somehow I seriously doubt that it does. Its probably little more than a bootable drive with NTFS support, and some tools. If you've got a password on your login, it doesn't mean you are using encryption. And this tool probably just lets you get straight to searching the -unencrypted- disk without cracking the login, or without pulling the drive and installing it somewhere else to scan through.
The implications of a device like this are scary to say the least. Although I'm not a Microsoft hater, this alone is more than enough to make me take a second look at options other than Microsoft Windows.
I suspect your average Linux LiveCD Recovery Disk has all the same tools on it. MS is just getting on board with their own version, to remove another area, where, right now, you have to use Linux. If that's the case the implications aren't scary at all.
And this whole are article is pure FUD.
Unless they've provided a back door to the encryption. That is the -only- question. But I really doubt they have.
In unrelated news, it is now a felony not to run Windows on your machine, and Linus Torvalds has gone into hiding.
Life would be easier if I had the source code.