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How the FBI Hacks Around Encryption

Posted by samzenpus on from the slight-bump-in-the-road dept.

Advocatus Diaboli writes with this story at The Intercept about how little encryption slows down law enforcement despite claims to the contrary. To hear FBI Director James Comey tell it, strong encryption stops law enforcement dead in its tracks by letting terrorists, kidnappers and rapists communicate in complete secrecy. But that's just not true. In the rare cases in which an investigation may initially appear to be blocked by encryption — and so far, the FBI has yet to identify a single one — the government has a Plan B: it's called hacking.

Hacking — just like kicking down a door and looking through someone's stuff — is a perfectly legal tactic for law enforcement officers, provided they have a warrant. And law enforcement officials have, over the years, learned many ways to install viruses, Trojan horses, and other forms of malicious code onto suspects' devices. Doing so gives them the same access the suspects have to communications — before they've been encrypted, or after they've been unencrypted.

3 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Hacking 'Round Encryptions by smittyoneeach · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Hacking 'round encryptions
    Gives Libertarians conniptions
    Who really wants to be an unkempt slave?
    From this fracas let be born
    Finally, Federalist reform
    Taking us to fabled fields of Burma Shave

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
    1. Re:Hacking 'Round Encryptions by KGIII · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      So long as it is a lawful and just warrant then I've no problem with this. I used to be able to say that most libertarians aren't crackpots. Such is no longer true. Today, they're mostly Ayn Rand worshiping Republicans who are too ashamed to admit they're neoconservatives and have opted to co-opt the moniker in hopes that nobody notices. It's our fault for not speaking up against them.

      I think you should be able to encrypt all you want and that they should be able to get a warrant to try to break that encryption but that you needn't help them to do so. They can have my mangled and unreadable data if they want it. With enough time and money they're allowed to decrypt it too. I can't wait until they do and find out that it's all just a bunch of saved pictures of lolcats and the occasional lolrus.

      pleaz to no decrypt my bukkit! my encypted bukkit!!! nooo!!!

      No, really. No lolcats but I do have a few lolrus pics saved. For some reason he amuses the hell out of me.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  2. Re:They *dont* get a warrant by KGIII · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    This is why you should stick to the recommended dosage schedule for your psychotropic medications.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."