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Secure Communications | 68 comments (68 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Secure Communications (none / 1)
If the NSA cracks that, they deserve a nobel for proving the simulation hypothesis.
by Thomas on Sat Aug 17th, 2013 at 03:02:27 PM EST
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Re: Secure Communications (none / 0)
but the problem is even then key delivery isn't trivial. you may have generated the perfect random key, but yoy still have to get it to both ends of the chain, without it being intercepted

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Sat Aug 17th, 2013 at 09:20:30 PM EST
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Re: Secure Communications (none / 0)
That's where covert and indirect methods are so useful.

You can hide information in anything - Tweets, Amazon feedback, EBay bids, blog comments, lolcat pics, videos, porn, banner ads, the time a given IP address reloads a web page.

Etc.

You don't even have to use steganography. Like email, it just happens to be convenient.

As long as you can agree a code, you can exchange your key using pretty much any traffic on the Internet.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Sat Aug 17th, 2013 at 10:18:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Secure Communications (none / 1)
For any common purpose key delivery is trivial. This is the electronic era - there is no reason not to make the pad very large, and at some point in time you are very, very likely to have met anyone you wish to communicate securely with in meat-space. Ebanking? pick it up when you set up your account. Corporate networks? HR can hand it over when you are hired/promoted. It isnt like you have to constantly get new keys! A single memory stick pair will cover all your traffic needs for life.. or at least until you forget to take it out of your pockets before washing.
by Thomas on Sun Aug 18th, 2013 at 07:02:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Secure Communications (none / 0)
Sending a key over the net would be very stupid, however. The entire point is that you do not let anyone see the key twice. Which means delivery has to be physical.
by Thomas on Sun Aug 18th, 2013 at 07:04:47 AM EST
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Re: Secure Communications (none / 0)
Fine, but if I deal with people all over the world, do I have to visit all of them? am I going to end up with a memory stick from every one? I'm sure it would fail on Practicality

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Aug 19th, 2013 at 07:57:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Secure Communications (none / 1)
oh, that is easy, also. Oldest known security trick will work for this.
Take USB stick. Mold a clay figure or tablet around it. Sunbake it. -it does not have to be a pretty figurine - in fact, it kind of helps if it is not, harder to copy.  Mail it. Email a photo. Have the recipient compare before smashing. But yhea, you will need a pad for everyone you want secure communications with.
by Thomas on Mon Aug 19th, 2013 at 02:19:38 PM EST
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Re: Secure Communications (none / 0)
Point of this isnt that a clay figurine could not be duplicated. The point is that it would take long enough to do so with sufficient accuracy that the recipient should notice the delay.
by Thomas on Mon Aug 19th, 2013 at 02:22:35 PM EST
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Re: Secure Communications (none / 1)
I know you live in Denmark, so I am forced to assume that it has been a while since you last sent anything in the mail...

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Mon Aug 19th, 2013 at 04:28:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Secure Communications (none / 1)
Take USB stick. Mold a clay figure or tablet around it. Sunbake it.

This assumes that no packages are X-rayed. But a hollow metal object with an opening that looks like a mold mark might work. Insert data stick, fill remainder of cavity with a metal filled clay, solder the opening shut, grind and polish that surface and glue felt over it as a base. Just don't use a falcon.

A cast or formed metal brass or pewter decorative paper weight would do fine -- unless the authorities became suspicious of the sender or recipient, as acoustic or even more sophisticated inspection might be used. A Dremel tool would suffice to open the base in the appropriate place. If one desired to reuse the object just have a back piece that is soldered around the entire bottom edge. But this is getting to be non trivial.  

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Mon Aug 19th, 2013 at 05:51:20 PM EST
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Re: Secure Communications (4.00 / 2)
perhaps deep down it's a government scheme to get people using the post again to drive the price up for privatisation

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Mon Aug 19th, 2013 at 07:12:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Secure Communications | 68 comments (68 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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