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Wikileaks: Something is up

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Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#71

Post by rdtsc »

jackowayed wrote: post #61
imajes wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i have a second source who validates that they're ok, just busy looking for bandwidth in a politically neutral state/jurisdiction. If anyone knows anyone who has that, pls let me know & i'll pass it on....

If this is really proof of some Giant Conspiracy that's super-newsworthy, couldn't they just send it to the NYT or the like and let them publish it? The 1st amendment is pretty close to absolute, and this sounds more like a military conspiracy than national security.

I believe NYT will stay away from such articles.

What would happen is, they will call CIA first to verify the authenticity. Then CIA will threaten them and will claim this is 'classified' and if they don't immediately turn it over, heads will roll, hard drives will be shredded, offices will be closed for an indefinite time for investigation and so on. NYT will not touch this stuff with a ten foot pole.

From a more general perspective. Large news media outlets have very close and 'cosy' relationship with the government. They treasure that relationship as that gets them quick and timely access to government related news releases. That is just news that writes itself. Whatever spews out the Department Of State goes straight to the viewers/reader. All news media outlets need to do is add advertisement on top. Being cut off from that, means spending serious time and money on investigative journalism. Flying people around the world to dangerous areas, spending months on finding good leads and researching. NYT will just not take that risk.

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#72

Post by eli »

ErrantX wrote: post #32
waterlesscloud wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would like to hear more about this encryption cracking, which would seem to be an impressive feat. Anyone have any background?

Depends on the exact encryption but from the sounds of the tweet ("$/CPU") it sounds like it could have been just brute forced.

Sure, but the obvious question: where did they find a secret military video protected by encryption that is weak enough to be bruteforced?

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#73

Post by sliverstorm »

fnid2 wrote: post #45
sliverstorm wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Those who introspect and attempt to confront the demons within must have more courage than a soldier on the battle field. Nice rhetoric, but I don't buy it. Methinks the author of said quote has never been a soldier.

I thought that too. It's one thing to think about death and another to face it. But I have faced it. 4 times I've almost died: Once I was saved from drowning, I was in two car crashes, and the last time was due to an illness. Everything went blue. My vision shrank to a pin hole and right before I passed out and collapsed, this feeling of peace came over me. I remember thinking, "This is what it is like? This is dying…

Interesting. I guess the way you wind up facing death changes things? I ride motorcycles, and every now and then there are moments you are sure you're going to die (though you may not be thinking 'die' in your head). You can taste the fear as it bubbles in the pit of your stomach. I haven't known anything more frightful in my life, except for possibly the time I was fully paralyzed (lungs included) for a half-minute and thought I broke my neck.

I'm not sure how you experienced your car crashes, but from your reaction I'm guessing they were the out-of-nowhere kind where you don't see it coming?

P.S. I am not a reckless rider. When you are a new rider, your instinct can flip out on you even when you are really ok, and even when you are a seasoned rider other cars and nature can conspire against you.

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#74

Post by rdtsc »

TeHCrAzY wrote: post #63
adrianwaj wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With the internet you can take on the DoD. If you know what you're doing, you can hack the DoD in such a way. Transparency all the way: look how Wikileaks are being so open on Twitter, look how we're all discussing it.

You'll have a hard time hacking past an air gap.

Actually that is the most effective kind of hacking -- past an air gap between people not between a person and a machine connected by a wire.

The most serious breaches of security are the ones done by insiders, agents and whistle-blowers, not by hacking a network or crypto protocol.

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#75

Post by danielharan »

eli wrote: post #72
ErrantX wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on the exact encryption but from the sounds of the tweet ("$/CPU") it sounds like it could have been just brute forced.

Sure, but the obvious question: where did they find a secret military video protected by encryption that is weak enough to be bruteforced?

With enough $/CPUs, it's all weak.

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#76

Post by crosvenir »

dsplittgerber wrote: post #28

"Finally cracked the encryption to US military video in which journalists, among others, are shot. Thanks to all who donated $/CPUs." http://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/9412020034 This may have to do with it.

If this WAS it, then they should be shut down. I'm not saying the video shouldn't be released or that the contents should be covered up, but the encryption algorithms that pertain to DoD COMSEC are classified and I think they would be breaking federal law by even cracking them.

I've seen many things from Wikileaks that are classified in nature and if they think that it's ok to do that they're mistaken, IMO.

I do however applaud their efforts with respect to net censorship and scientology secrets.

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#77

Post by fnid2 »

sliverstorm wrote: post #73
fnid2 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought that too. It's one thing to think about death and another to face it. But I have faced it. 4 times I've almost died: Once I was saved from drowning, I was in two car crashes, and the last time was due to an illness. Everything went blue. My vision shrank to a pin hole and right before I passed out and collapsed, this feeling of peace came over me. I remember thinking, "This is what it is like? This is dying…

Interesting. I guess the way you wind up facing death changes things? I ride motorcycles, and every now and then there are moments you are sure you're going to die (though you may not be thinking 'die' in your head). You can taste the fear as it bubbles in the pit of your stomach. I haven't known anything more frightful in my life, except for possibly the time I was fully paralyzed (lungs included) for a half-minute…

The first time I was swerving to miss a dog in the middle of a dirt road and the car spun out of control and nearly ended up in the water. The next day all my tires were flat from the sand and gravel that got lodged between the rubber tire and the rim. My windows were down and the inside of the car was full of sand and dirt and plants.

The second time, I fell asleep on the interstate. The sound of the tires on the dirt woke me up and when I pulled back onto the road, the car started doing 360ies until I crashed into a guard rail. I never fell asleep again and no one was hurt either time. I was really amazed both times that the car didn't flip. The second time, the people behind me saw me spinning out of control and like, 5 cars pulled in behind me. I feel really lucky, not only for myself, but for others I could have hurt.

I ride motorcycles too, not in a long time, but I remember times when I'd be going through a turn and hit a patch of sand or dirt and lose traction. It's quite scary. Almost went off the side of a mountain when I got my first bike and still didn't know to handle high speed tight turns. Sure knocked the invincibility out of me.

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#78

Post by JeremyBanks »

danielharan wrote: post #75
eli wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but the obvious question: where did they find a secret military video protected by encryption that is weak enough to be bruteforced?

With enough $/CPUs, it's all weak.

No, it's not. The amount of computing power that would be needed to break the kind of encryption we should expect them to be using would be immense. It would likely be impossible, or at least impractically expensive. This is a very interesting part of the story.

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#79

Post by hzzn »

rdtsc wrote: post #71
jackowayed wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If this is really proof of some Giant Conspiracy that's super-newsworthy, couldn't they just send it to the NYT or the like and let them publish it? The 1st amendment is pretty close to absolute, and this sounds more like a military conspiracy than national security.

I believe NYT will stay away from such articles. What would happen is, they will call CIA first to verify the authenticity. Then CIA will threaten them and will claim this is 'classified' and if they don't immediately turn it over, heads will roll, hard drives will be shredded, offices will be closed for an indefinite time for investigation and so on. NYT will not touch this stuff with a ten foot pole. From a more ge…

This story was first broke by the New York Times:

"Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts" http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/politics/16program.html

Re: Wikileaks: Something is up

#80

Post by crosvenir »

crosvenir wrote: post #76
dsplittgerber wrote: post #28

"Finally cracked the encryption to US military video in which journalists, among others, are shot. Thanks to all who donated $/CPUs." http://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/9412020034 This may have to do with it.

If this WAS it, then they should be shut down. I'm not saying the video shouldn't be released or that the contents should be covered up, but the encryption algorithms that pertain to DoD COMSEC are classified and I think they would be breaking federal law by even cracking them. I've seen many things from Wikileaks that are classified in nature and if they think that it's ok to do that they're mistaken, IMO. I do howe…

Oh, exactly what was it you wanted me to say (EDITED out rude comment). I at least used DH3 - Contradiction: they should be shut down. Weak yes, but I also thought I used DH4 - Counterargument: I think they would be breaking federal law by even cracking them.

http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html

Even went so far as to agree to other point (EDITED out rude comment). Oh well, hey at least you responded with rational discussion. Oh wait you just voted down because you disagreed.

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