How did the DEA read my E-mail?

[Mr.Evil]

Just use PGP to encrypt your hard-drive..if they actually take the time to break it, more power to them.

Hate to bust any bubbles, but I used to work at McAfee/Network Associates.

All PGP products have a government "back door" key that can and will break any commercial PGP product.

Before McAfee bought the product from Philip Zimmermann, he used to put out a source code version that you could compile yourself. In the source code was the section with the Government back door. You could then remove this section and stop the ability of the government to use this key.

Our call center gets a few calls each month from the FBI requesting a key for someones laptop they confiscated.

 

[Baby Gorilla]

Really....

Hate to bust any bubbles, but I used to work at McAfee/Network Associates....

....Our call center gets a few calls each month from the FBI requesting a key for someones laptop they confiscated.

I have PC Crypto. Does it have a backdoor code?

Likewise, do they need a warrant to obtain that backdoor code? Is it a set code (works everywhere) or just works for a set system (I'm presuming each system install has some variable...otherwise the Feds would just need this code once and fax it everywhere)?

 

[Puc]

http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

it is GNU which means it is free. it overwrites sectors of your hard disk 35 times. it attaches an option to your recycle bin so that when you empty it, you ERASE it instead.

clean out your caches, temp directories, histories, etc. then run this. they will not be able to recover your info.

WHY, because each overwrite makes the data that was once stored in that sector harder to get to. The more times you overwrite something (particularly with patterns that are designed to be "heavier" than the previous data) the harder it is to get to. don't listen to the girls who say to burn it.

The issue is, how deep do you go? there is a functional limit that even the guberment cannot exceed. But that limit is deep. If you are a terrorist, run the eraser twice or three times. You will be safe.

 

[MrMakaveli]

By the time the DEA gets around to raiding your house they wont really care what is on your hard drive. New laws give the government the right to monitor all digital traffic, by the time you realize they are coming for you they have already probably gotten enough evidence from say a wiretapp on a phone line or monitoring your traffic through your ISP.

Oh btw if your using windows, your fucked regardless, use linux

 

[[email protected]]

Since there are backdoors. What the heck can you encrypt with these days????

 

[Mr.Evil]

Re: Really....

I have PC Crypto. Does it have a backdoor code?

Likewise, do they need a warrant to obtain that backdoor code? Is it a set code (works everywhere) or just works for a set system (I'm presuming each system install has some variable...otherwise the Feds would just need this code once and fax it everywhere)?

Yes. Any commercial encryption product is required to have a back door to allow the government the abililty to monitor the communications if they feel it is necassary, or to break encrypted seized hard drives, messages, etc.

They either need a warrant to give them a wiretap or for the seized equipment. If thats been given, thats good enough to warrant a Commerical Company to give up the back door for that product/user.

Each back door key is unique to the installation / user. So one key doesnt fit all fortunately.

 

[Mattavelli]

exactly like displayed on my monitor when they were typed.

Carnivore

 

[Mattavelli]

Since there are backdoors. What the heck can you encrypt with these days????

Encryption can be broken, it just takes time. You just need to have the casing on your PC alreadly loose so if something does happen you can rip that HD out then replace it with a clean one.

BTW: check this out http://msnbc.com/news/660096.asp?cp1=1

 

[Citruscide]

There is an evidence eliminator program... it will wipe out the clear parts of your HD by writing and writing over it with 0's and 1's, until any old impressions are unreadable...

Although, if you have cookies in your windows directory, or HAD cookies there, they could show your e-mail, and then the feds can get a warrant to check that e-mail.

C-ditty

 

[fiz]

the only way to reassure that shit is off your email is to reformat... even if you clear your history and everything, there are often ways to find traces of emails, etc. through the registry.