Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Silk Road Journal Found On Ulbricht's Laptop: "Everyone Knows Too Much"

Posted by timothy on from the that's-not-my-bag-baby-honestly dept.

sarahnaomi writes On Wednesday, prosecutors in the Silk Road trial began to lay out the wealth of evidence found on the laptop taken from accused kingpin Ross Ulbricht in a San Francisco library in October 2013. The evidence presented by prosecutor Timothy Howard was the most comprehensive and damning thus far, including more than a thousand pages of chats between the site's pseudonymous operator Dread Pirate Roberts and Silk Road administrators. Also entered into evidence was a journal that dates back to at least 2010 describing the creation and operation of the site. FBI computer scientist Thomas Kiernan, the second witness in the trial, testified about the day Ulbricht was arrested and the evidence gathered from his laptop.

9 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Do we have any frequent contributors here that can give us more detail?

  2. What an idiot by wiredlogic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So not only could he not secure his black site, he couldn't even secure the files on his own laptop.

    It makes you wonder how he ever got it running in the first place.

    --
    I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    1. Re:What an idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      On the other hand, a psychopath is marked by superhuman hubris, i.e. the assumption that everyone is stupid except them. This is often their downfall when it comes to criminal trial, because they are genuinely shocked that other people are smart enough to have figured them out.

    2. Re:What an idiot by h4ck7h3p14n37 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Full disk encryption is great, but assumes that you won't have unlocked it for the attacker.

      That's why you also encrypt sensitive files separately. You only unlock the file when you're actually using it and then lock it back up when done.

      Just use dd to create some space to use, create a filesystem on the file and then apply your preferred means of encryption. Encrypted USB sticks are another good solution.

    3. Re:What an idiot by DrXym · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The most likely diagnosis is the Dunning-Kruger effect. He thought himself smarter than he actually was. Add to that the fact he was running a market in illegal goods (drugs, weapons, hitmen etc.) which tends to make law enforcement throw lots of manpower at finding out who the perpetrator is and the determination to take them down.

    4. Re:What an idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Gee, you claim you are that smart, yet you are too stupid to know that just the destruction of evidence can carry a 20 year sentence, and, in addition, the court can instruct the jury to assume that the evidence that was destroyed showed exactly what the prosecution says it shows. Genius.

    5. Re:What an idiot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Here is the law. What part of the law supports your position?

      Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States or any case filed under title 11, or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter or case, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

      Nothing in there about being charged or having probable cause. And if you think anyone will buy your explanation that you weren't attempting to destroy evidence with your little bomb you are an even bigger idiot than it originally appeared.

  3. Mental note: by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Mental note: When establishing a questionably legal site for definitely illegal transactions to be made through, don't keep any logs about it, nor your conversations regarding it.

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  4. Geeks in particular tend to forget this by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The FBI may not be all up to date on the latest technologies and they aren't great at dealing with things purely in the digital world. However they are one of, if not the best investigative organizations in the world. They have a lot of experience investigating crimes of all kinds, often committed by experienced criminal organizations that are quite clever.

    So there's a good chance if they are interested in getting you, they will. They are quite literally professionals at it, and they institutionally learn from their experience. You very well may know a lot more about computers than they do, but they almost certainly know way more about criminal investigations than you do.