Code breakers crack GSM cellphone encryption

[Steve Schear]

At 02:37 AM 9/9/2003 +1000, Greg Rose wrote:
>At 05:18 PM 9/7/2003 -0700, David Honig wrote:
>> >A copy of the research was sent to GSM authorities in order to correct the
>> >problem, and the method is being patented so that in future it can be used
>> >by the law enforcement agencies.
>>
>>"Laughing my ass off."  Since when do governments care about patents?
>>How would this help/harm them from exploiting it?   Not that
>>high-end LEOs haven't already had this capacity ---Biham et al
>>are only the first *open* researchers to reveal this.
>
>Actually, patenting the method isn't nearly as silly as it sounds. 
>Produced in quantity, a device to break GSM using this attack is not going 
>to cost much more than a cellphone (without subsidies). Patenting the 
>attack prevents the production of the "radio shack (tm) gsm scanner", so 
>that it at least requires serious attackers, not idle retirees or jealous 
>teenagers.

Not if they can type GNURadio into Google.

steve


A foolish Constitutional inconsistency is the hobgoblin of freedom, adored 
by judges and demagogue statesmen.
- Steve Schear 


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