Is the NSA a Good or Bad thing?

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  • Smack dat
    So Fucking Banned
    • Jul 2016
    • 4613

    #1

    Is the NSA a Good or Bad thing?

    Ok so they read and download the world's information. Everything from email, SMS, internet, missiles, satellites, tanks etc etc.

    They also intercept and keep tabs on the "bad guys". Just because America and of course by default the world is kept safe. Do you think the NSA is good or bad?
  • just a punk
    So fuckin' bored
    • Jun 2003
    • 32385

    #2
    Originally posted by Smack dat
    Ok so they read and download the world's information. Everything from email, SMS, internet, missiles, satellites, tanks etc etc.

    They also intercept and keep tabs on the "bad guys". Just because America and of course by default the world is kept safe. Do you think the NSA is good or bad?
    They intercept the idiots only. The NSA is not good or bad, it just can't decode the encrypted information. The same does Mossad, FSB and others, but all of them are very limited in methods they are using to spy.
    Obey the Cowgod

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    • notinmybackyard
      Confirmed User
      • Sep 2012
      • 3230

      #3
      When they manage to crack a "One-Time-Pad" encryption then they might be useful.

      One-Time-Pad encryption was invented in 1882 and no one has ever been able to crack it. I absolutely guarantee that anyone wanting to keep something truly secret is using this encryption.
      officially retired as of March 01 2018 but still fucking around and getting into shit.

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      • Bladewire
        StraightBro
        • Aug 2003
        • 56220

        #4
        Originally posted by CyberSEO
        They intercept the idiots only. The NSA is not good or bad, it just can't decode the encrypted information. The same does Mossad, FSB and others, but all of them are very limited in methods they are using to spy.
        You don't need to look inside a rock to know it's a rock. Find out what kind of rock by where it's at and what's growing around it


        Skype: CallTomNow

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        • Barry-xlovecam
          It's 42
          • Jun 2010
          • 18083

          #5
          IDK
          Œ
          ˆ;Î`Øp`ÒS÷9k|«ŠúŽLP¹o*®?n!ñàÿ)Ì_uè› ò£×„0T&—Ã="¬˜’Ý~Z¿äߍ7b+ýà‹ kº?ƒ€‹."øÂY2Ã6Õ¥…º

          gpg test file

          I think whatever they filter through -- it is too much information. The signal becomes lost in the noise of quantity.

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          • Smack dat
            So Fucking Banned
            • Jul 2016
            • 4613

            #6
            Originally posted by notinmybackyard
            When they manage to crack a "One-Time-Pad" encryption then they might be useful.

            One-Time-Pad encryption was invented in 1882 and no one has ever been able to crack it. I absolutely guarantee that anyone wanting to keep something truly secret is using this encryption.
            Just spent about 30 mins reading up about one time pad. Interesting, thanks.

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            • rowan
              Too lazy to set a custom title
              • Mar 2002
              • 17393

              #7
              Originally posted by notinmybackyard
              When they manage to crack a "One-Time-Pad" encryption then they might be useful.

              One-Time-Pad encryption was invented in 1882 and no one has ever been able to crack it. I absolutely guarantee that anyone wanting to keep something truly secret is using this encryption.
              It's still possible to crack this if the source of "randomness" is weak or buggy.

              https://security-tracker.debian.org/.../CVE-2008-0166

              Due to a coding bug, the random number generator was seeded with only 15 bits of data, which means that only 32767 unique streams would be output by the random number generator. If a key is generated immediately after seeding, that means there's only 32767 possible keys, which makes brute forcing easy. Normally a random number generator suitable for cryptography would use many, many more bits as a seed.

              So if the random number generator for your OTP is flawed, it may be possible to crack the message.

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              • just a punk
                So fuckin' bored
                • Jun 2003
                • 32385

                #8
                Originally posted by Smack dat
                Is the NSA a Good or Bad thing?
                Was it somehow useful to prevent the terrorist attack on 9/11? A very simple question, isn't it? The NSA is just one of thousand useless pieces of shit which sucks the money from the clueless US taxpayers. Just like Obamacare - billions of dollars for nothing. The US GDP grows up, but does the real life gets better? If You Have $10 And No Debt, You Are Richer Than 15% Of American Households Put Together.
                Obey the Cowgod

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                • notinmybackyard
                  Confirmed User
                  • Sep 2012
                  • 3230

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Smack dat
                  Just spent about 30 mins reading up about one time pad. Interesting, thanks.
                  Anytime - I'm a walking book of "useless but interesting" information. LOL

                  Originally posted by rowan
                  It's still possible to crack this if the source of "randomness" is weak or buggy.

                  https://security-tracker.debian.org/.../CVE-2008-0166

                  Due to a coding bug, the random number generator was seeded with only 15 bits of data, which means that only 32767 unique streams would be output by the random number generator. If a key is generated immediately after seeding, that means there's only 32767 possible keys, which makes brute forcing easy. Normally a random number generator suitable for cryptography would use many, many more bits as a seed.

                  So if the random number generator for your OTP is flawed, it may be possible to crack the message.
                  Everything is flawed when you screw up including encryption.

                  It's this reason that the One-Time-Pad tends to be still done by hand without the assistance of a computer. Real spies carry the "key" usually on an extremely small piece of paper that can be easily hidden. (ie: During the cold war Russian spies would do things like have it placed under a toe nail)

                  Having done some personal research on the subject I quickly learned that any group that's honestly serious (and worth worrying about) uses almost exclusively very low-tech methods to defeat state run intelligence groups.
                  officially retired as of March 01 2018 but still fucking around and getting into shit.

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