[Cryptography] TAO, NSA crypto backdoor program

[ianG]

On 2/01/14 00:30 AM, Lodewijk andré de la porte wrote:
>  The question is whether or not it's naive to think
> it's just the NSA, it should be the CIA too sometimes. Perhaps even a
> company on a rare occasion.


It's a CSS catalogue, from the division that is responsible for securing 
all the government agencies.  I am guessing that the products are 
available for anyone who's got a close relationship.  Definitely CIA and 
military, especially special forces.  The NSA is supposed to be a 
non-active entity, it doesn't do the interventions, it more or less has 
to work in concert with others, but its incidental expertise in high 
tech makes it by accident the most likely partner in developing the tech.

So this catalogue probably goes to all Homeland agencies as well, think 
DEA, FBI, USSS, etc, although they would likely not be given the best 
toys except in high profile cases.

It is interesting to look at the classifications as well.  The GSM copy 
equipment is Secret whereas most of the other stuff is TS.  Only a few 
of the toys are 5-eyes, most is REL TO US only.  But I'd say that there 
is a lot of quiet sharing goes on with GCHQ and maybe others than is 
indicated by the REL classification...



iang