Re: NSA enhancing Linux security?

From: Bill Unruh (unruh_at_string.physics.ubc.ca)
Date: 02/28/04 

Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 18:12:51 +0000 (UTC)

Bill Laut <wlgen@verizon.net> writes:

]Jem Berkes wrote:

]>> Whew...
]>>
]>> That is one serious "conspiracy theory" rant...
]>
]> Umm...
]>
]> Let me throw out this example. I think this was mentioned in an IEEE
]> publication some time in the last two years: the NSA is able to intercept
]> data flowing through fiber optic cable burried underneath the ocean. How?
]> Apparently they have submarines carrying computer labs. They are able to
]> pick up EM fields emitted at optocoupled (electrical) repeaters.
]>
]> From the bottom of the friggin' ocean!
]>

]This sounds like another incident that occured during the Cold War, but
]involved a conventional copper-based submarine cable. The NSA worked with
]the Navy to install an inductive coupler around the cable, so that they
]could record the signals. Every few months, a Navy sub would return to the
]tap to retrieve the recording module and install a new one.

]Eventually an NSA analyst sold the knowledge of the tap to the Soviets for
]$30,000. The analyst was later found out, tried, and imprisoned. The
]Soviets (now Russians) retrieved the tap and put it on display in one of
]their museums. I forget which one but supposedly it's still on display.

]>
]> I would not be surprised if they have the means to break modern crypto
]> ciphers with key sizes that everyone else thinks is "good enough".
]>

]One of the ancient secrets of codebreaking is to use parallel computing in
]order to break down the workload into manageable segments, and then to
]analyze the ciphertext for correlating bit sequences. This technique dates
]back all the way to Bletchley Park, and is still valid today.

]To that end, the NSA has built codebreaking ensembles consisting of over one
]million 2GHz processors, interconnected with custom-designed fiberoptic
]NUMAs. It can take longer to load the ciphertext into the system than it
]takes for the system to break it.

Lets see say 100 watts, per processor, times 10^6 = 10^8 watts to run
this thing. Hmm must be some electrical cable running into NSA.

And despite that those 10^6 processors still would require 10^17 years
to break say blowfish by searching for the keys.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: NSA enhancing Linux security?
    ... > publication some time in the last two years: the NSA is able to intercept ... tap to retrieve the recording module and install a new one. ... the NSA has built codebreaking ensembles consisting of over one ... It can take longer to load the ciphertext into the system than it ...
    (comp.os.linux.security)
  • Re: Ive seen things you people wouldnt believe...
    ... If they REALLY want to know, they'll let the NSA play with it. ... RSA Security Inc, implementing and deploying cryptgraphic software, ... Then there are other ways to tap the line... ... of telephone conversations, correct? ...
    (rec.arts.sf.fandom)
  • Re: Bush lied about wiretaps. Shock!
    ... > I wan't bush out, but I'm not sure that "data mining," or looking for ... > patterns in telephone calls is the same as a tap. ... NSA & domestic snooping? ...
    (alt.politics.bush)