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US Government Using PS3s To Break Encryption

Posted by timothy on from the purchase-order-shenanigans dept.

Entropy98 writes "It seems that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center, known as C3, has replaced its '$8,000 Tableau/Dell server combination' with more efficient and much cheaper $300 PS3s. Each PS3 is capable of 4 million passwords per second, and C3 currently has 20 PS3s with plans to buy 40 more. Naturally this is only being used to break encryption on computers seized with a warrant and suspected of harboring child pornography."

8 of 570 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What by edittard · · Score: 4, Funny

    Perhaps they're just hitting people with them?

    --
    At the bottom of the /. main page it says 'Yesterday's News'. Well they got that right.
  2. Re:What by MRe_nl · · Score: 3, Funny

    And that is why my password is"Pleasestophittingmeononotthewaterboardblipdoolpoolp"

    --
    "Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
  3. Re:Wow, 4 million passwords per second... by noidentity · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, with a brute force attack, I've only got 36,030,233,524,592,808,479,552,335 years before they will reach mine!

    Thanks, we'll just skip ahead to the password we would have be trying 36,030,233,524,592,808,479,552,335 years from now, and crack your encryption today!

  4. Re:What by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Look, we'll give you a PS3 if you tell us your password.

    "We'll even throw in the HDMI cable. We'll get it eventually; this way you and I can both go home before lunchtime."

    --

    ---
    ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
  5. Riiiight.... by Stanislav_J · · Score: 3, Funny

    Naturally this is only being used to break encryption on computers seized with a warrant and suspected of harboring child pornography.

    Naturally. (*wink-wink* *nudge-nudge* say no more...)

    --
    "Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket." -- Eric Hoffer
  6. Re:What by theaveng · · Score: 4, Funny

    +1 funny.

    What's your password?
    "Please stop hitting me."

    What's your password?
    "Please stop hitting me!"

    What's your password?
    "I TOLD you my password!"

    (smack). No you didn't! You're acting like a child. Stop playing these games. Tell us your password!
    "pleasetophittingme"!!!!!

    (smack). Oh great. He's unconscious.

    --
    FOX NEWS.com should be BANNED from television and internet. Have the Congress take it over and give us Truespeak.
  7. Re:What by Chrisq · · Score: 4, Funny

    Could be worse, imagine if it was "fuck you, stupid customs official"

  8. Re:What by Spazztastic · · Score: 3, Funny

    Could be worse, imagine if it was "fuck you, stupid customs official"

    My secret answer for a gaming account was "Your moms box." When I called them up and had to change my information, the guy asked me and I immediately realized what it was. Good thing he had a sense of humor, otherwise he might have thought my childhood superhero was his mom's box.

    --
    Posts not to be taken literally. Almost everything is sarcasm.