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Russian Federal Guard Service "Upgrades" To Electric Typewriters

Posted by timothy on from the you'll-need-some-cyrillic-white-out dept.

Razgorov Prikazka writes "The Russian Federal Guard Service (FSO), who are in charge of protecting high level politicians like president Putin (amongst others), are 'upgrading' to electric typewriters for writing sensitive documents. They have found out that computers pose a security risk and this is their answer to it. On first sight this seems like a very pragmatic and cost-efficient thing to do. However, the FSO has its roots in the KGB and those were the ones who placed keystroke loggers on the popular IBM Selectric electric typewriter 40 years ago! So how much safer does this make them?"

4 of 163 comments (clear)

  1. Here's the NSA historical document by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/cryptologic_histories/Learning_from_the_Enemy.pdf

  2. Re:How much safer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Bullshit, pencil shavings get into equipment and short circuit things

    http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

  3. Mylar ink tape by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    A record of all keystrokes is stored on the mylar ink tape used in the Selectric. You need to incinerate the ink cartridge after use to keep things secure.

  4. Re:Physical access? by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 3, Informative

    Stuxnet jumped the air gap just fine via jump drives and other sneakernet tech.

    --
    Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.