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FBI Failed To Break Encryption of Hard Drives

Posted by kdawson on from the deploy-the-quantum-computer dept.

benoliver writes to let us know that the FBI has failed to decrypt files of a Brazilian banker accused of financial crimes by Brazilian law enforcement, after a year of attempts. Five hard drives were seized by federal police at the apartment of banker Daniel Dantas, in Rio de Janeiro, during Operation Satyagraha in July 2008. (The link is to a Google translation of the original article in Portuguese.) The article in English mentions two encryption programs, one Truecrypt and the other unnamed. 256-bit AES was used, and apparently both the Brazilian police and the FBI tried dictionary attacks against it. No Brazilian law exists to force Dantas to produce the password(s).

22 of 486 comments (clear)

  1. Wrong dictionary. by AnonymousClown · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...both the Brazilian police and the FBI tried dictionary attacks against it

    They should have used a Portuguese dictionary not an English one! Geeze! Folks are soooooo US centric!

    --
    RIP America

    July 4, 1776 - September 11, 2001

    1. Re:Wrong dictionary. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Fifty bucks says the password is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

    2. Re:Wrong dictionary. by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...both the Brazilian police and the FBI tried dictionary attacks against it

      They should have used a Portuguese dictionary not an English one! Geeze! Folks are soooooo US centric!

      I suggest using the OED. Place the subject's testicles on top of volume one*...
      * If using a single-volume edition, open to the end of letter 'M'. Fair results can be had with the use of electronic editions, but the technique is not recommended.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:Wrong dictionary. by NotQuiteReal · · Score: 2, Funny

      Fifty bucks says the password is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

      Good luck with that. Even though goals are few and far between, in a game, there is an infinite number of ways of saying it...

      GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
      GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
      GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
      GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
      GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!
      etc.

      --
      This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
    4. Re:Wrong dictionary. by icebraining · · Score: 4, Funny

      That would be GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLO, in Portuguese.

      --
      Dilbert RSS feed
    5. Re:Wrong dictionary. by hnangelo · · Score: 2, Funny

      That would actually be GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, in Brazilian Portuguese.

    6. Re:Wrong dictionary. by maxwell+demon · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, even a Portuguese dictionary would not have helped. You don't find "1234" in a dictionary.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  2. They should publish it as a DVD by kawabago · · Score: 5, Funny

    They should publish it as a DVD and within hours they'll be able to download the unencrypted file from a torrent! :o)

    1. Re:They should publish it as a DVD by UnknowingFool · · Score: 4, Funny

      And if they name it "Secret Megan Fox, Natalie Portman threesome with grits" it should a matter of minutes before someone cracks it.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  3. Reality Check by baeyogin · · Score: 4, Funny

    http://xkcd.com/538/

  4. Re:US Laws? by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 5, Funny

    The law of gravity. The feds hang you by your feet out a 5th floor window till you talk......

    --
    "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
  5. Re:is waterboarding next to get the info? by Dahamma · · Score: 1, Funny

    No, they just need to send it to Wikileaks and tell them it's a video of waterboarding.

  6. Re:Wrong Agency by amRadioHed · · Score: 2, Funny

    You never want to wait longer then the heat-death of the universe, and most of the time the length of a human life time is sufficient. Anything longer then that counts as never.

    --
    We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
  7. Re:Wrong Agency by aristotle-dude · · Score: 2, Funny

    Actually, this would not be unprecedented. I have heard of stories where the FBI sent macs and linux machines to CSIS (Canada's spy agency) because the FBI guys only knew how to crack into windows machines.

    --
    Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
  8. Obligatory by guyminuslife · · Score: 3, Funny

    The XKCD for that

    --
    I don't believe in time. It's a grand conspiracy designed to sell watches.
  9. Re:weird by roman_mir · · Score: 2, Funny

    Seriously, when did a little or a big violation of the Constitution ever stop a government with an agenda?

    --
    You can't handle the truth.
  10. Re:Weakest link? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Funny

    Surely there's many links, most of those weaker than the algorithm itself.

    Guess not. Two governments have failed to break it. Hows that work with your belief that recovery will always be compromised by some 'link'?

    They just didn't apply enough governments.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  11. Re:is waterboarding next to get the info? by laron · · Score: 5, Funny

    I take issue with your first statement. Luckily, there is an easy test to see what is and what isn't torture:
    A claims that method X isn't torture, B says it is. Just have B apply Method X to A, until A confesses that he was wrong.

    --
    "Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master."
  12. Re:is waterboarding next to get the info? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    wow, you guys have 5th amendment vaccines?

  13. Re:is waterboarding next to get the info? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You try to eat ice-cream for three days, see how good you feel.

  14. Need English to Portugese dictionary by FragHARD · · Score: 2, Funny

    I need to know what the Portuguese word is for 'PASSWORD"

    --
    FragHARD or don't frag at all
  15. Re:How can they assume the wrong password though? by Asic+Eng · · Score: 2, Funny

    Right, but even if in the applicable jurisdiction you are required to give them the key, you have now complied with the agreement. Nobody can prove you haven't. Assuming you are in a civilized country that's already sufficient to protect your data. It doesn't work in othe