[Cryptography] Ex-CIA Joshua Schulte Describes His Data/Crypto Hiding Prowess

[Grant Schultz]

On 2/28/2020 11:00 AM, cryptography-request at metzdowd.com wrote:
> I designed and wrote software to
> conceal data in a custom-designed file system contained within
> the drive slack space, or hidden partitions. I disguised data.
> I split data across files and file systems to conceal the
> crypto. Analysis tools would never detect random or
> pseudorandom data indicative of potential crypto. I designed
> and wrote my own crypto.

I only glanced at the 161 pages of testimony from the trial, but I 
question this guy's claims:
1.  An expert never writes his own crypto (unless it's a custom 
implementation of a known-secure algorithm, done for who knows what reason).
2.  The idea of hiding data in slack space or hidden partitions has been 
known for quite some time, and should be very familiar to tens of 
thousands of people around the globe.
3.  Stego hides data as random or pseudorandom data, and thus is 
immediately suspect.  The only data that can't hide other data is 
completely (or nearly) uniform data.  (And even then, overwritten data 
can be recovered.)

Is the point that this guy is a little too proud of himself?

Grant Schultz