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FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

arstechnica.com

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Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#121

Post by paulie_a »

kasey_junk wrote: post #84
mirimir wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many security researchers who could do that. Even I know the basic issues to address, even if I don't know all of the implementation specifics.

Name one company you could call up and ask “hey I’m doing some dirt that might get me inestigated by the feds, can you secure my comms?” And they’d say yes. Now name one that an average attorney could find. I’m not picking on you, I’m serious. I have a couple of people I might ask, but if expect most of them to say “no thanks”

There was literally a company dedicated to exactly that got busted for exactly that. I am honestly too lazy to provide a reference on this Saturday morning, but you could have contacted them with: "hey I need secure communication about large quantities of cocaine/mdma/meth smuggling, what do you have that can help with that"

Numerous people in that company outright went on the lamb. This happened extremely recently and the sinola cartel and Australian biker gangs were among their clients.

It was covered on risky.biz podcast

Edit: the Canadians actually did ask them about secure communication for cocaine smuggling

Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#122

Post by snthd »

ben1040 wrote: post #9
justboxing wrote: post #6

> The letter to Judge Kimba Wood stated that "the Government was advised that the FBI’s original electronic extraction of data from telephones did not capture content related to encrypted messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and Signal... The FBI has now obtained this material." I don't get this. How could you possibly decrypt encrypted messages without WhatsApp or Signal's assistance? Isn't the whole point of en…

Encryption in transit doesn't imply encryption at rest. For instance, WhatsApp on Android will happily back up to Google Drive, if you allow it, and it does so in cleartext.

Media backups are not encrypted, but data is.

Backup key security is compromised by usability concerns (the need to restore the backup to a new phone without the old one).

https://blog.elcomsoft.com/2018/01/extract-and-decrypt-whats...

Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#123

Post by onetimemanytime »

kasey_junk wrote: post #119
onetimemanytime wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Leave bias aside for a second: Trump (before election) is a high profile person, he does have a huge business with hundreds /thousands of employees and is worth at least billions. To want security is not just normal but a super smart move. If they pay, why wouldn't the top OPSEC companies tell them how to secure their devices? (Reading might do 99% of work though)

The billions number has always been in dispute, but I’m not suggesting he couldn’t pay some hypothetical person. I’m suggesting his roladex doesn’t have a specific person to call to do this & without this how do you get it done? I disagree with the assertion that reading gets the job done. He was using signal. He read something about encrypted messaging. When the feds came calling it wasn’t enough. You need highly sp…

The billions number has always been in dispute

He's a braggart and not a great businessman considering the head-start he had, IMO, but that is irrelevant. Whether he has $3 billion or $10 Billion, he's still super rich, private jet rich for life. Even his children can sit by a beach house or two and live like kings for the rest of their lives.

>>I disagree with the assertion that reading gets the job done. He was using signal. He read something about encrypted messaging.

Signal message: "Joe, I'm sending a message so open Whatsapp and let me know when you're online...."

"OK, time to kill Jimmy. The rest of the money will be there tomorrow."

Delete it after it's read and...

Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#125

Post by karambahh »

kasey_junk wrote: post #56
mirimir wrote: post #47

Damn, you'd think that someone at that level would pay for better OPSEC support. But then, I guess that I'm not surprised. Blackberry does have a reputation, not at all deserved at this point. I'm pretty sure that the President's phone is just as poorly secured. Probably less, from what I've read.

Just a question. Who would they pay? I know a few people I might pay for that but only incidentally & I’ve worked in tech. for 20 years. Where would an average though maybe high priced attorney go to get advice other than “use signal & WhatsApp” if they knew they needed protection from a federal investigation?

I'm probably able to give this kind of advice myself but I certainly know a few C-levels at public companies listed on Eurostoxx 50 that don't have the proper digital practices

I have more than a couple times witnessed and thought "are you actually exchanging highly sensitive information with your board while using an open wifi in the same room as 5 of your direct competitiors, their staff and 1k random guys like me?"

They can ask legal or IT but either way it will end up being a project relegated on a larger roadmap and will not be properly implemented in a timely manner.

I guess what I'm looking for is a piece written by a reputable source (from their POV) such as Bloomberg or the WSJ. Any ideas?

Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#126

Post by Alex3917 »

akhilcacharya wrote: post #104
Alex3917 wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The entire Clinton personal e-mail scandal was essentially her unwilling to give up her BlackBerry The main scandal was her violating FOIA. There were some additional security concerns, but her running on a platform of undoing civil rights era legislation was the bigger issue.

>but her running on a platform of undoing civil rights era legislation was the bigger issue. I feel like this needs more explanation

FOIA is civil rights legislation from 1967. Clinton's entire campaign was based around the premise of rolling back those sorts of civil rights era protections, which is why she didn't turn over her email to the state department as was required by law.

Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#128

Post by Sylos »

ebikelaw wrote: post #19
ben1040 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Encryption in transit doesn't imply encryption at rest. For instance, WhatsApp on Android will happily back up to Google Drive, if you allow it, and it does so in cleartext.

Nothing on Google Drive is stored "in clear text".

It's maybe not stored in clear text, but it is at the very least stored in a form that Google can decrypt.

They would not be able to recover your data upon requesting a password reset, if they used proper end-to-end-encryption.

Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#129

Post by hansthehorse »

civilitty wrote: post #13
fwdpropaganda wrote: post #2

Trump is in trouble now. EDIT: It is suspected that Michael Cohen, being a long time Trump friend and personal lawyer, is familiar with Trump's money laundering. If Michael Cohen believes he's at risk of being sent to jail for many years, he might collaborate with the FBI.

A lot of trouble. A Ukrainian national said in an interview that he testified in front of a grand jury convened by the Mueller investigation last Friday. He said that the prosecutor's questions focused on Cohen so he is about to be squeezed from both sides and his family is now selling several multimillion dollar apartments (including his in-laws), supposedly to cover legal bills. His current legal team will cease al…

The feds have already stated they will be going after every nickel they can get their hands on from both Manaford and Cohen if convicted. Leaving their family destitute is a powerful incentive to cooperate.

Re: FBI Recovers WhatsApp, Signal Data Stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry

#130

Post by willstrafach »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #102
steve_musk wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was there another smartphone platform he could have used at the time that would have been less work to secure? A secure smartphone for the President seems well worth the effort.

I don't know what their preferred phone was at the time, but they were unwilling to go through the same effort for the Secretary of State, instead offering her a choice of non-BlackBerry phones.

This is likely because his modified BlackBerry was a one-off project suited to his security requirements.

My understanding is that internal hardware was removed/shielded, and I assume software modifications were made as well, like only connecting to specific cellular base stations (such as the one in his official vehicle).

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