Discussion: The Petraeus Situation

[Kelly]

The **** is about to hit the fan....

Paula Broadwell Computer Had 'Substantial' Classified Data: Reports

 

[Marvolo]

The **** is about to hit the fan....

Paula Broadwell Computer Had 'Substantial' Classified Data: Reports

Ruh roh!

 

[Paradoxium]

The FBI would have cracked it anyway. You think that regular commercial encryption is law enforcement proof? Like I said before this whole investigation was initiated by the complaint of a private citizen (Jill Kelly) who was being harassed by Petraeus' mistress via private email. Why would that need to be encrypted? Furthermore, during the investigation, the mistress, Paula Broadwell, willfully gave up her computer for the FBI to look at the files. If there were encrypted files she would have had to decrypt them for the investigation lest he be accused of obstruction of justice. The encryption would not have worked because she harassed a third party.

Nope. The FBI haven't been able to crack PGP. And there are even stronger encryption algorithms out there. I am talking about encryption for the communication of two people. I am not talking about her harassing whoever.

 

[Paradoxium]

If Broadwell is too stupid to encrypt emails, no ****ing chance she knows how to encrypt data on her hard drive. Everyone do yourself a favor and learn to use TrueCrypt, free and powerful.

 

[dnno1]

Nope. The FBI haven't been able to crack PGP. And there are even stronger encryption algorithms out there. I am talking about encryption for the communication of two people. I am not talking about her harassing whoever.

http://www.ncmilitia.org/spycounterspy/fs006.html

...PGP is under attack. PGP is considered the best encryption software available for use with email. But despite its robustness, PGP is regularly beaten by the FBI. Surveillance teams routinely read PGP-encrypted email.
That's because most people aren't using PGP correctly. If you are one of them, you are vulnerable. The FBI possesses the means to mount a sophisticated covert campaign against you. They can choose from an arsenal of proven methods for cracking your PGP-encrypted email. Those methods are described in this document...

Care to correct your statement?

 

[Paradoxium]

They use keyloggers to beat it. But brute force? Nope.

 

[dnno1]

If Broadwell is too stupid to encrypt emails, no ****ing chance she knows how to encrypt data on her hard drive. Everyone do yourself a favor and learn to use TrueCrypt, free and powerful.

I think you fail to realize that breaking a code could be as simple as a search warrant and the treat of imprisonment for obstruction of justice. I don't think that most people would risk their livelihood over an affair like that let alone try to conceal it with some exotic email. Broadwell has a family and I am sure she is supporting them right now. It would be pretty hard to continue doing that behind prison bars. I still don't see why a person would need some exotic encryption software just to cover up an affair anyway. As it turned out, the FBI didn't need to go as far as I have stated, but they still would have gotten it either way. Let's stop making up ridiculous theories and get real here.

 

[Paradoxium]

Dude you linked some 1998 article, there are many instances of the FBI getting peeved with encryption years after. This isn't news. They've resorted to doing it via legal force. If the guy has some 40 character password for some 4096 bit RSA encryption it is not happening man.

Get the joke?

I mean ****, you can layer it. Put a password in that show dummy files, and another real password to show the real files.

 

[Paradoxium]

What ridiculous theories? I said they were stupid for not using encryption.

 

[Thundercrack85]

It's funny, back in the day when all they had was pencil, paper, and a file cabinet with a lock, they could cover up UFO crashes, experimenting on people, assassinations, etc

Now with all the fancy technology they can't cover up a simple extramarital affair.

 

[Paradoxium]

It's funny, back in the day when all they had was pencil, paper, and a file cabinet with a lock, they could cover up UFO crashes, experimenting on people, assassinations, etc

Now with all the fancy technology they can't cover up a simple extramarital affair.

That's what I am sorta getting at. It's ridiculous.

 

[Thundercrack85]

For the uninformed, what exactly does encrypting a file man?

You need a password to read it?

 

[Raiden]

I don't condone adultery, and I think Petraeus made a huge mistake and the biggest blunder in his life, but I can see why he'd be tempted with a woman like Broadwell. Isn't she young enough to be his daughter?

 

[Marx]

...this whole thing boggles my mind. How could someone like Petraeus be so stupid and careless?

 

[Paradoxium]

For the uninformed, what exactly does encrypting a file man?

You need a password to read it?

Here is a truecrypt video
[YT]nemmSS5mqDA[/YT]

Thunderbird and Enigmail

 

[DACrowe]

As much as Petraeus's idiocy is shocking, the more this lurid story unravels the more interesting that it becomes.

 

[Pink Ranger]

So far this is my favorite American sex scandal of all time. Wall to wall MILFs, man, including twin sisters, it's wild!

 

[Bathead]

Did anyone see how Fox is trying to spin this into some sort of conspiracy by the Obama administration? Basically, they're asking why wasn't this revealed BEFORE the election?, posibly becasue it would have hurt Obama?
The problem with that is, is that it was known and by a prominent Republican (I forget who) to boot.

 

[Paradoxium]

You really think the CIA is going to have issues with the encryption programs you've listed above?

Completely missed this, but yes.

Here is what I would do.

Encrypt an entire USB drive via Truecrypt. Layer it to have a fail safe password that shows dummy files. Memorize a 20-30 character password.

Load up portableapps into it. Install Thunderbird + Enigmail. Also make sure GNUGP installed.

In event they catch you using it, yank USB stick out without proper dismount, to destroy everything. If dismounted and discovered, supply the fail safe password to show dummy data. Make sure email is hosted out of country, like swissmail.

Look up Daniel Dantas.

 

[DACrowe]

Eric Cantor. A partisan gunning for Boehner's job who helped torpedo the grand deal in 2011.

I see how they imagine this plot line, but as usual they're just spitballing innuendo and conspiracy theories with no actual evidence or facts to back them up. Meanwhile, the reality is still pretty salacious on it's own. For example...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...duct-in-petraeus-scandal-is-counterterrorism/

We have a face for the alleged shirt-ripping, obsessive eighth party in this affair. And so the plot thickens.

 

[Paradoxium]

It's pretty simple. Jill is a socialite troll. Paula is peeved at the JillTroll, so she emails snarky **** with the same gmail she uses with her loverboy. Jill gets beta orbiter FBI agent to investigate this snarky email. The overzealous beta orbiter pursues, despite the FBI thinking it was not worth looking into. Beta orbiter unintentionally uncovers affair, and sends topless images to JillTroll. Beta orbiter remanded from case.

The rest is history.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Hmm, an FBI terrorism expert with a fatal obsessive weakness for Middle Eastern women. Yeah, nothing disastrous could possibly come out of that.

 

[Paradoxium]

JillTroll is a social climbing parasite. She already wiped out her rich doctor husband's wallet to schmooze with elites. She even pulled off the charity scam.

She has almost no redeeming qualities. She trolol a lot of people.

 

[DACrowe]

Her husband doesn't exactly sound like a victimized "rich doctor" either considering he didn't work and instead spent around a $100,000 of that charity's money on food, travel, and "entertainment."

Still, I give them credit for convincing Petraeus to somehow make her an "honorary consul" for South Korea to the point where a coal man flew her to New York and Hawaii as a liaison with S. Korean officials and then demanded 2% ($80 million) out of the deal and caused it to fall through.

And I thought Homeland was unbelievably over-the-top.

I should be more concerned about the fiscal cliff or the Middle East on fire, but somehow this story is just so entertaining.

 

[Pink Ranger]

And I thought Homeland was unbelievably over-the-top.

I should be more concerned about the fiscal cliff or the Middle East on fire, but somehow this story is just so entertaining.

This whole thing is Homeland, Real Housewives, Scandal, Revenge, The Good Wife, NCIS and porn all rolled into one!