[Cryptography] Photojournalists & filmmakers want cameras to be encrypted

[Tom Mitchell]

On Thu, Dec 15, 2016 at 10:37 AM, Henry Baker <hbaker1 at pipeline.com> wrote:

> FYI --
>
> http://www.zdnet.com/article/photojournalists-and-
> filmmakers-call-on-camera-makers-to-include-encryption/
>
> Photojournalists and filmmakers call on camera makers to include encryption
>
> Filmmakers and photojournalists have their cameras and footage seized 'at
> a rate that is literally too high to count,' according to the Freedom of
> the Press Foundation.
>

There are two issues...
  -) tampering.
  -) encryption.

Nikon tried to address #1  with a tamper proof strategy on their better
cameras.
"ElcomSoft Co. Ltd. researched Nikon’s Image Authentication System, a
secure suite
validating if an image has been altered since capture, and discovered a
major flaw.
The flaw allows anyone producing forged pictures that will successfully
pass validation
with Nikon’s Image Authentication Software. The weakness lies in the manner
the
secure image signing key is being handled in Nikon digital cameras."

*https://blog.elcomsoft.com/2011/04/nikon-image-authentication-system-compromised/
<https://blog.elcomsoft.com/2011/04/nikon-image-authentication-system-compromised/>*

Encryption of removable media need not involve a camera.
Flash memory can be removed and a modest PC used to encrypt the contents
for transmission or transport to home.

>From the bad guy point of view a camera with flash media will simply have
the media
pulled, destroyed or tossed if not the whole camera.  So getting the media
out
of the action zone is possibly more critical than encryption.

Many wedding photographers have near instant iPad preview of content via
WiFi.
A tablet application could add encryption.  Phones and tablets could move
content to a cloud
as bandwidth permits.  Phones with +100GB of microSD are common.
Applications
like Nikon's Snapbridge could be extended.  The second device (phone) need
not be
in the pocket of the person with the camera.

Software on cameras can be updated so if the hardware allowed  some stuff
could be improved.
Cameras do not have worthy keyboards and mice.  Key management is always
hard when the
physical device can be grabbed.   Police have demonstrated this by mugging
a suspect as
soon as the phone is apparently unlocked.

Moving WiFi mesh nets can be jammed but mostly in obvious ways.  The camera
man
and crew to build a mesh could span a football field.   UUCICO and net news
solved
redundant as well as store and forward relay problems years ago.

Cell phone cameras are crazy good today so Nikon and Canon are not the only
ones
on the hook but the good lenses and sensors help.  A serious long lens is a
life saver as is
a short focal length fast lense in front of a many pixel body.














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