Topic: Wall Observer BTC/USD - Bitcoin price movement tracking & discussion - page 31863. (Read 26382433 times)

I don't think this NSA thing will lead to much, at least those are my thoughts at the moment. Snowdon had some serious information  and he did say that encryption DOES work, just not all of it, only the best works. Bitcoin is the best.

--- http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/09/05/world-nsa-cryptography.html
During a Web chat organized by the Guardian on June 17, Snowden told one questioner that "encryption works." Snowden said that "properly implemented strong crypto systems" were reliable, but he then alluded to the NSA's capability to crack tough encryption systems. "Unfortunately, endpoint security is so terrifically weak that NSA can frequently find ways around it," Snowden said.

It was unclear if Snowden drew a distinction between everyday encryption used on the Internet -- the kind described in Thursday's reports -- versus more-secure encryption algorithms used to store data on hard drives and often requires more processing power to break or decode ---

Speaking of which, no reply from John K yet. His profile does say that he is having a busy week.

So the message here is (since this is the speculation forum): NSA has cracked Bitcoin, therefore one should sell.

Because they need encryption themselves? Can you really not think of any reasons?

Dude.....this guardian article......

This is my favorite slide:

Wow is these for sure?

So remember when I said I was contacted by eBay and everyone had a good laugh and called bullshit? Well this was on reddit;
http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/growing/categorychanges/coins.html
Scroll to the very bottom;
September 2013 new addition Virtual Currencies
"The full list of the category changes & their corresponding category number can be found by clicking on the category links below. These changes will be live in mid September."

I'm sure this must have been posted before but the sensationalist and water-muddying articles in the mainstream press of late keep concerning people so...

http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/09/black-budget-what-exactly-are-the-nsas-cryptanalytic-capabilities/

As soon as you are using a computer now a days there is a big chance that they can easily track you or get anything they want from you.

- Intel new chips can be controlled remotely
- Windows (high percent of computer installed OS) is absolutely infiltrated by NSA. They even have an office in the NSA building
- IOs & Android and now Microsoft wants to buy Nokia. They know everything they need about you and more (usage, pictures, messages, phone talks, whatsapp)
- Watches is the next step, just in case you forget to take your mobile with you. If you don't use watches, in the near future there will be glasses everywhere. What are you going to do wear a mask in your neighbourhood?.
- Password software like lastpass is located in US. They say in their forums that they have not been requested by the US goverment to install anything "strange" on their software but based on US law, they cannot say anything in case they were infiltrated. They say everything is encrypted on your machine, but just a rogue patch from them and they can change it in 5 minutes (if they haven't already).
- Data in the cloud: Dropbox, Google Drive, Sugarsync, Box.net.  Online backup: crashplan and many others. Maybe only wuala in switzerland is encrypted and a couple other open source software.
- Even if it is open source there might be a possibility that it is infiltrated. Look at tor where their code had a leak and even knowing it. It took days to decipher the open code due to it's complexity.
- If you are printing a paper wallet, think about it. Do you have one of those wifi printers with cloud printing? Do you think they won't get what you have just printed. Sure they will.
- Android encryption codes bugged (scandal about wallets/android from a couple of weeks ago). I would bet they did it knowingly.
- They scan every single snail mail through united states.
- They are even asking the webmasters to disclose users passwords to their webpages for security reasons.
- In top of that huge huge brute force power, mathematicians and infinite budget.
- Most security methods also rely on certification companies around the world. Using those you can prepare attacks in the middle. Who controls them?


So if you are using a computer, it is highly unlikely that you are not vulnerable multiple times. There is an interesting book from Assange -> Cypherpunks if interested on this.


http://prism-break.org/

wow the FUD is everywhere

Anything that relies on AES encryption is compromised. Don't give me "yea but 256 takes so much longer to brute force than 128 bit" blah blah. If the US Gov has an unprecedented method to speed up brute force of 128 bit, they can surely use it on 256 bit.

*edit* re encrypting wallets ^

SHA 256 was developed by the NSA and the article says they developed encryption they could break.  Why would they develop encryption they couldn't break?  So, if they can hack it or have a back-door, someone else may figure out a way.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Hash_Algorithm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHA-2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency

I'm one of the "select few" and I'll tell you. With the help of Sherlock Holmes, we've assembled a crack team who can break substitution cyphers in a matter of days, sometimes hours!

Think twice before encrypting your critical data with your secret decoder ring.


I really can't tell if you guys actually believe the FUD you are posting or if you are legitimately confused about how encryption, and more specifically, bitcoin work.

"The three organisations removed some specific facts but decided to publish the story because of the value of a public debate about government actions that weaken the most powerful tools for protecting the privacy of internet users in the US and worldwide."  -http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security

Some juicy details left out. I bet they omitted the specific protocols that can already be brute forced easily and much quicker than assumed.

Well lets put it this way would any hostile country's military use a function (SHA-256) provided by the NSA as the agency has locked themselves out? Its a bit like building a house and give everyone a key put not keep one myself.

  it actually says in the article that brute forcing is part of the attack.

If you could break encryption, you wouldn't tell anybody.

Other info from the latest leaks indicate only a select few know exactly which forms of encryption are cracked. See the articles i posted.

You're saying they can't break encryption, right? Just so we're clear.

The fact that it's a "multi-pronged" effort, involving methods like intercepting the data before it's encrypted, inserting vulnerabilities into commercial encryption software, pressuring major organizations for backdoor keys, or permission to insert code into their systems, writing clauses into the Patriot act allowing them to hold on to encrypted data forever, etc. etc., to me, says that they in fact CAN'T break encryption. If you could break encryption, you would just do it. It would be a "single-pronged" effort. Why waste time with all that other crap?

Now if you legitimately believe they are brute forcing the encryption open, what kind of timeframe would you put on that? 100 years? 10? 5? How long until they can do it in less time than the time between bitcoin blocks? Would that cost less than launching World War 3 and nuking everyone into slavery?