[Cryptography] News flash: FBI in the "dark" about "numbers" radio stations

Tom Mitchell mitch at niftyegg.com
Mon Mar 7 20:46:29 EST 2016


On Mon, Mar 7, 2016 at 2:34 PM, Henry Baker <hbaker1 at pipeline.com> wrote:

> FYI --
>
>
> http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/06/the-stupidly-simple-spy-messages-no-computer-could-decode.html
>
> The Stupidly Simple Spy Messages No Computer Could Decode
>
> Shane Harris  03.06.16 5:01 AM ET
>
> Every day, hour after hour, the world’s spies send top secret information
> you can easily listen in on.
>
> "But the numbers are just gibberish without that key, known in spycraft as
> a one-time pad.  As its name suggests, it’s used only once.  And that’s
> what makes it so secure."
> ---
>
> These radio communications to/from *terrorists* have been going on since
> WWII, and yet James Comey hasn't filed suit against the radio receiver
> manufacturers...
>

Different at a lot of levels and not applicable to current discussion.

<random thoughts>

The Germans did confiscate short wave radios way back when.  And:

 "It is a little-known fact that similar restrictions were imposed in the
US.  Legal resident aliens of German, Japanese and Italian descent were
required to surrender their shortwave radios to police."

IMO freedom of speech implies freedom to listen so short of a declaration
of war listening
will continue to be free as long as sanity prevails.

These "stupid simple" numbers may be a fall back method.
Unused today but available at any time should they be needed.
They could be a way to communicate a key needed to decode more.
If I knew I am sure I could not say.

But this presents a quandary for those that fear the dark.  The
important lesson is the old tools are still durable, effective and proven.

Most of these old tools are pad and pencil friendly enough that paper
combined with pencil more of a decryption technology than a radio.
And as such should also be  managed.

In the context of listening ISPs blocking of port 80 and 443 may qualify
as a violation of the freedom of speech. Same with public bulletin
boards that have little tear off phone numbers.
</random thoughts>

<modern>
Could these numbers be valuable to bootstrap or manage modern digital strong
encryption?  Or tear down digital links and microwave the DVD of keys?
</modern>








-- 
  T o m    M i t c h e l l
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