India Claims To Have Cracked Blackberry Encryption; Proudly Spying On Emails
from the details-missing dept
Earlier this year, India demanded that RIM allow it to easily snoop on any email messages sent via Blackberry devices. The company explained that since the end user sets the encryption key, there's simply no way to provide a backdoor to snoop on the messages. However, now the government is proudly claiming that it's cracked the code and can now monitor Blackberry messages on various mobile operator networks. The details are quite vague, especially an offhand comment about how this is "wholly for non-enterprise solutions." That would suggest, then, that enterprise Blackberry messages may remain secure. It also raises questions about whether or not the mobile operators in question are simply providing access to their mail servers. Either way, the whole thing seems weird -- including the government's effort to publicize the fact that it's spying on Blackberry messages.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: blackberry, email, encryption, india
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Get McCain
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I give this privacy thing away for security and encourage every body to do so.
Only people who want to hide things from govt, would cry against this i the name of stupid privacy crap.
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Re:
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Re: @Raghubir
"They who would trade privacy for security will get neither and deserve none". Slight modification, I know... but it fits.
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after all
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Re:
There are many legal (read: non-terrorist) motives for having privacy. You are not doing anything illegal in the bathroom or bedroom, but I don't know anyone that would want the government in there with them.
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Thank you kindly,
Kumar
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Safe from who? Certainly not safe from the Government. Of course, this is 2008, we don't have to worry about Government anymore, it's so very kind and always out for our best interests!!
Of course, that wasn't true 20+ years ago, but the media and others will have you believe it is now.
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Re:
In that same video it's pointed out that while a police officer can SAY that he'll put in a good word for you in court, he's lying because he's Constitutionally prohibited from doing so. He can say all the bad stuff in the world about you but can't talk about how you cooperated fully and actually gave him a lead to the real criminal even though you're the one defending your "innocent" self.
So trust them all you want and let me know who you are so we can get your naive ass locked up for life and out of the way of people who want REAL freedom.
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Re: Nothing to Hide?
Raghubir Singh wrote:
Do you have curtains on your windows? What have you got to hide?
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Ah the old "nothing to hide nothing to fear" fallacy.
I assume this means you won't mind me installing CCTV in your shower then.
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Re: government is honest?
Won't allowing political government people to have access to all our information allow them to use it against you. In the USA the government has zero right/power to invade our papers home or person to know all our secrets. Read the constitution and get a life.
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More details
"The decryption claim relates to listening in on unencrypted BIS traffic only. Since these messages are forwarded unencrypted outside the BIS anyway, it hardly represents a breakthrough by the Indian security services."
Raghubir Singh, you are a tool.
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DUH! This is retarded and hardly newsworthy.
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The Gold Medal for cracking the Crackberry goes to...
[Applause]
Abhinav Bindra, come take your prize and be sure to update your CV.
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What's new?
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Intellectual Property Rights
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Your Gawd and Master
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My point is, one cannot avoid such things no matter which country one lives in. You are being watched day in and day out. We think we are more secured with our personal records. Our entire personal record is available by some means or the other, so encrypting a black berry message come on big deal!!!!!!
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So what you are saying is that they can see me right now holding up my middle finger at them.
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Re: Re:
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It is a different world here
The world here is different. A lot different from the West. We are at a higher security risk here and government eavesdropping on messages and calls is a "security measure" here.
I may know that what they claim is absurd and/or dangerous.
But the illiterate shopkeeper down the lane feels safe that the government is "doing something to protect him". He will vote for the same government again, because of its "technical superiority" in "handling terrorism". I do not blame him - when he sees bloodshed in the market, all he can do is hope.
This is a different world here. Equally far from the US and China...
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Raised Eyebrow Department
However, it is well known in infosec that one of the best ways to spy on someone is to convince them that the secure system they are using has been breached, in the hopes that they will switch to an insecure system.
My bet is there.
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Double ROT 13
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Every country but the USA knows that all governments are corrupt. Just keep hiding your head in the sand, ostrich boy.
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You totally missed the attempt at humor.
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That is the biggest joke I have ever heard don't you ever watch TV, they talk about so much corruption in US government. I appreciate your patriotism my Kudos to you. :)) As your name sounds right "Anonymous Coward" you are one of a kind, so there is no point in arguing with you buddy.
Anyways, back to the point of this article. I would like to see if there is a way to crack blackberry encryption. Because I totally agree with "there's simply no way to provide a backdoor to snoop on the messages".
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Not too bright are ya ?
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Don't trust Times of India
As far as Indian govt. is concerned after recent bomb activities in several Indian cities, Indian govt. is very keen on sniffing all networks. In fact, this sniffing got them to arrest some techie terrorists responsible for Delhi blasts. No wonder, the govt. is keen on doing this.
I am not sure why the govt. would openly let ppl know why it's doing this. Only reason could be cuz it can afford to do so unlike in US. Also sniffing doesn't mean that someone gets to read all your net activities. It only means that if you are visiting terrorist sites too often or convey such things over mail. In such a case you are most likely a terrorist and must be dealt with.
Take the finnish incident for eg. the guy posted his youtube video of holding out gun etc. Police were alrted they even confronted him. However cuz of no proper evidence he was allowed to let go and next day he shot several ppl.
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Re: Don't trust Times of India
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So you agree that you are an idiot.
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