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Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected

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  Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2014-06-17 11:13 +0000
    Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-06-17 23:09 +1000
      Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Shadow <Sh@dow.br> - 2014-06-17 11:13 -0300
        Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-06-18 11:07 +1000
      Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2014-06-17 15:24 -0500
        Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-06-18 14:19 +1000
          Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2014-06-18 01:25 -0500
            Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-06-18 16:40 +1000
      Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2014-06-17 13:59 -0700
      Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Mark Harvard <mark.harvard.909we3@gmail-.com> - 2014-06-17 14:03 -0700
        Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2014-06-18 14:28 +1000
    Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Anonymous <anonymous@foto.nl1.torservers.net> - 2014-06-17 13:15 -0400
    Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2014-06-17 15:50 -0500
      Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-06-18 00:22 +0300
    Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected Oregonian Haruspex <bob_davis_retired@yahoo.com> - 2014-06-17 14:01 -0700
    Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2014-06-17 21:38 +0000
      Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2014-06-17 21:50 +0000
    Re: Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected "tdk" <forum.tdk@squte.com> - 2014-06-18 10:52 -0500

#3720 — Truecrypt infiltrated by NSA, as suspected

Interesting post on SoylentNews today.  There were rumors and suspicion
the project was so hastily abandoned because developers realized they
had been infiltrated by the NSA.  Now it looks like that was true:

http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/06/17/0511216

TrueCrypt Site Encodes Warning about NSA Infiltration 
 posted by  LaminatorX on Tuesday June 17, @10:30AM    
from the Paging-Dan-Brown dept. 

Jeremiah Cornelius writes:

In an update to the speculation that TrueCrypt development was
officially discontinued as a response to efforts by US intelligence
agencies to compromise the project, the TrueCrypt web site seems to
contain a secret message warning potential users of NSA interference in
the integrity of the software. The apparent message, "Don't use
TrueCrypt because it is under the control of the NSA" is read as an
acrostic in Latin, contained in the message announcing developer
cessation of the project on SouceForge. Two independent analytical
exercises, conducted independently, arrive at the same conclusion. User
"Badon" at the Live Business Chat message board has a detailed exegesis
including screenshots and footnotes. 

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
of proper Latin grammar and syntax. However, Google Translation does
reproduce these results. I can certainly believe that a warning might
have been composed using G.T. rather than by consulting a classicist.
--ED]

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#3721

On 17/06/2014 9:13 PM, RS Wood wrote:
> Interesting post on SoylentNews today.  There were rumors and suspicion
> the project was so hastily abandoned because developers realized they
> had been infiltrated by the NSA.  Now it looks like that was true:
>
> http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/06/17/0511216
>
> TrueCrypt Site Encodes Warning about NSA Infiltration
>   posted by  LaminatorX on Tuesday June 17, @10:30AM
> from the Paging-Dan-Brown dept.
>
> Jeremiah Cornelius writes:
>
> In an update to the speculation that TrueCrypt development was
> officially discontinued as a response to efforts by US intelligence
> agencies to compromise the project, the TrueCrypt web site seems to
> contain a secret message warning potential users of NSA interference in
> the integrity of the software. The apparent message, "Don't use
> TrueCrypt because it is under the control of the NSA" is read as an
> acrostic in Latin, contained in the message announcing developer
> cessation of the project on SouceForge. Two independent analytical
> exercises, conducted independently, arrive at the same conclusion. User
> "Badon" at the Live Business Chat message board has a detailed exegesis
> including screenshots and footnotes.
>
> [EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
> and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
> of proper Latin grammar and syntax. However, Google Translation does
> reproduce these results. I can certainly believe that a warning might
> have been composed using G.T. rather than by consulting a classicist.
> --ED]
>

While it would not surprise me if the NSA were to try to put backdoors 
into Truecrypt, I can't see why those in control of the project wouldn't 
just come right out and say it, together with whatever evidence they have.

It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.

Sylvia.

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#3722

On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 23:09:05 +1000, Sylvia Else
<sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:

>While it would not surprise me if the NSA were to try to put backdoors 
>into Truecrypt, I can't see why those in control of the project wouldn't 
>just come right out and say it, together with whatever evidence they have.

	Free vacations in Guantanamo ?
>
>It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.

	I'm sure some of them were American.
	A secret court order under the Patriot Act ?
	Why not ? It's been used before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act,_Title_V#National_security_authorities

	[]'s
-- 
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy  - Google 2012

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#3734

On 18/06/2014 12:13 AM, Shadow wrote:
> On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 23:09:05 +1000, Sylvia Else
> <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>
>> While it would not surprise me if the NSA were to try to put backdoors
>> into Truecrypt, I can't see why those in control of the project wouldn't
>> just come right out and say it, together with whatever evidence they have.
>
> 	Free vacations in Guantanamo ?
>>
>> It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.
>
> 	I'm sure some of them were American.
> 	A secret court order under the Patriot Act ?
> 	Why not ? It's been used before.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act,_Title_V#National_security_authorities
>
> 	[]'s
>

The security letters related to accessing information, and preventing 
the publicising of the fact that information is being accessed.

In the case of TrueCrypt, the hypothesis is that the NSA has being doing 
something to TrueCrypt, and while the NSA would obviously not like that 
to be publicised, I can't see that the NSA can prevent it.

Sylvia.

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#3725

Sylvia Else wrote:

> On 17/06/2014 9:13 PM, RS Wood wrote:
>> Interesting post on SoylentNews today.  There were rumors and suspicion
>> the project was so hastily abandoned because developers realized they
>> had been infiltrated by the NSA.  Now it looks like that was true:
>>
>> http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/06/17/0511216
>>
>> TrueCrypt Site Encodes Warning about NSA Infiltration
>>   posted by  LaminatorX on Tuesday June 17, @10:30AM
>> from the Paging-Dan-Brown dept.
>>
>> Jeremiah Cornelius writes:
>>
>> In an update to the speculation that TrueCrypt development was
>> officially discontinued as a response to efforts by US intelligence
>> agencies to compromise the project, the TrueCrypt web site seems to
>> contain a secret message warning potential users of NSA interference in
>> the integrity of the software. The apparent message, "Don't use
>> TrueCrypt because it is under the control of the NSA" is read as an
>> acrostic in Latin, contained in the message announcing developer
>> cessation of the project on SouceForge. Two independent analytical
>> exercises, conducted independently, arrive at the same conclusion. User
>> "Badon" at the Live Business Chat message board has a detailed exegesis
>> including screenshots and footnotes.
>>
>> [EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
>> and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
>> of proper Latin grammar and syntax. However, Google Translation does
>> reproduce these results. I can certainly believe that a warning might
>> have been composed using G.T. rather than by consulting a classicist.
>> --ED]
>>
> 
> While it would not surprise me if the NSA were to try to put backdoors 
> into Truecrypt, I can't see why those in control of the project wouldn't 
> just come right out and say it, together with whatever evidence they have.
> 
> It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.

If they get a secret subpoena (your reference to a "[national] security
letter")from the FBI, administered by the Dept of Justice, yes, they are
barred by a gag order to not say ANYTHING about the subpoena, its scope,
its demands, or any of its effects.  They must remain silent or they
will be jailed indefinitely while charged with criminal penalties.  How
many volunteers do you know that are willing to be prosecuted for
violating a gag order?  Not everyone wants to be a martyr, especially
when the source code is distributed worldwide so anyone could fork the
project somewhere else not influenced by the FBI, DOJ, or NSA.

To alert others about the secret subpoena, they used the trick of not
saying anything about the issue and instead saying something else so
obviously not what they would usually say as to indicate what they
really meant to say.  It's a canary alert to identify they've been
served with a secret subpoena (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrant_canary).

The authors of TrueCrypt have remained hidden for a decade (and why
finally someone decided to actually audit their source code; see
https://opencryptoaudit.org/).  They have never identified themselves.
However, if the FBI or NSA found them and they were US citizens or in US
territories, yep, the secret subpoena gets served to them and they have
to remain mum.  That they created a dummy version that is read-only as
the last version available at the Sourceforge project indicates they
fled to abandon the project rather than kowtow to the gov't trying to
alter their program.  They might've decided to flee before the 2nd audit
exposed existing back doors.  They might've abandoned the project after
growing weary of working on it for a decade.  However, in leaving on
their own decision without coercion, they would've have trashed the
project with a read-only version of Truecypt or posted such an obvious
ruse web page that smacks of a warrant canary.

You might want to see what happened to Lavabit after getting served a
secret subpoena (e.g., en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavabit).  Read
http://threatpost.com/of-truecrypt-and-warrant-canaries/106355 on how
Apple applied a warrant canary.

Some sites have now started adding an icon saying "The FBI has not been
here".  If that icon disappears then the FBI has been there (to subvert
the site or whatever it promotes).  When the FBI shows up, the canary
dies (or severely changes "color" or appearance).  They might just an
icon: http://tinyurl.com/nqzctbr for "FBI has not been here" and
http://tinyurl.com/pffw4ov to indicate otherwise.  Of course, the gov't
interferrence and takeover, they could put the live canary on THEIR
newly acquired web site.

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#3736

On 18/06/2014 6:24 AM, VanguardLH wrote:
> Sylvia Else wrote:
>
>> On 17/06/2014 9:13 PM, RS Wood wrote:
>>> Interesting post on SoylentNews today.  There were rumors and suspicion
>>> the project was so hastily abandoned because developers realized they
>>> had been infiltrated by the NSA.  Now it looks like that was true:
>>>
>>> http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/06/17/0511216
>>>
>>> TrueCrypt Site Encodes Warning about NSA Infiltration
>>>    posted by  LaminatorX on Tuesday June 17, @10:30AM
>>> from the Paging-Dan-Brown dept.
>>>
>>> Jeremiah Cornelius writes:
>>>
>>> In an update to the speculation that TrueCrypt development was
>>> officially discontinued as a response to efforts by US intelligence
>>> agencies to compromise the project, the TrueCrypt web site seems to
>>> contain a secret message warning potential users of NSA interference in
>>> the integrity of the software. The apparent message, "Don't use
>>> TrueCrypt because it is under the control of the NSA" is read as an
>>> acrostic in Latin, contained in the message announcing developer
>>> cessation of the project on SouceForge. Two independent analytical
>>> exercises, conducted independently, arrive at the same conclusion. User
>>> "Badon" at the Live Business Chat message board has a detailed exegesis
>>> including screenshots and footnotes.
>>>
>>> [EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
>>> and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
>>> of proper Latin grammar and syntax. However, Google Translation does
>>> reproduce these results. I can certainly believe that a warning might
>>> have been composed using G.T. rather than by consulting a classicist.
>>> --ED]
>>>
>>
>> While it would not surprise me if the NSA were to try to put backdoors
>> into Truecrypt, I can't see why those in control of the project wouldn't
>> just come right out and say it, together with whatever evidence they have.
>>
>> It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.
>
> If they get a secret subpoena (your reference to a "[national] security
> letter")from the FBI, administered by the Dept of Justice, yes, they are
> barred by a gag order to not say ANYTHING about the subpoena, its scope,
> its demands, or any of its effects.

But it's a subpoena, not a court order. It can only seek information, 
and indeed, there's a significant limit on the information that can be 
sought. The gag order relates to subpoena, and prevents the recipient 
from disclosing its existence, or content, but it does not, and cannot, 
impose a wider restriction the recipient.

In particular, it could not require someone to refrain from revealing 
that some party, government, or otherwise, had compromised Truecrypt.
>
> You might want to see what happened to Lavabit after getting served a
> secret subpoena (e.g., en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavabit).  Read
> http://threatpost.com/of-truecrypt-and-warrant-canaries/106355 on how
> Apple applied a warrant canary.

Yes, but that was a different situation entirely.

Sylvia.

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#3738

Sylvia Else wrote:

> But it's a subpoena, not a court order. It can only seek information, 
> and indeed, there's a significant limit on the information that can be 
> sought. The gag order relates to subpoena, and prevents the recipient 
> from disclosing its existence, or content, but it does not, and cannot, 
> impose a wider restriction the recipient.

It's the Justice Department issuing the secret subpoena.  They don't
need a court.  They are a court.

  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/09/AR2010080906252.html

  The government has long argued, as it did in this case, that "secrecy 
  is often essential to the successful conduct of counterterrorism and 
  counterintelligence investigations" and that public disclosure of the 
  receipt of a letter "may pose serious risks to the investigation 
  itself and to other national security interests." FBI spokesman Mike 
  Kortan said, "The FBI needs the ability to protect investigations, 
  sources and methods." 

  The recent request by the Obama administration to amend the law 
  governing the letters has prompted debate in Congress over which types 
  of electronic records should require a judge's permission before the 
  FBI can seek them, and which types should not, as is the case with 
  national security letters. A letter may be issued by a FBI field 
  office supervisor if they think the data will be relevant to a 
  terrorism probe.

The US gov't is split into 3 branches: legislative, judicial, and
executive.  Where do you think the DOJ resides?  Look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Justice#mediaviewer/File:US_Department_of_Justice_Organizational_Chart.png

See the FBI down the chart under the DOJ?  Although we've been bandying
"NSA" around as the "wicked one", they're under the Dept. of Defense
(DOD) which is under the executive branch.  I'm sure they appreciate our
disinformation.

The FBI is administered by the DOJ.  How hard do you think it is for the
DOJ to write their own judicial writs while also requiring them to be
kept secret?  Recipients are usually not allowed to disclose receipt of
the national security letter (NSL), its demands or scope or its effects.
The National Security Letter provision of the Patriot Act allows the FBI
forbid or gag anyone who receives an NSL.  "NSLs may contain a
nondisclosure provision—preventing the recipient of an NSL from
disclosing that the FBI had requested the information — only if the
Director of the FBI (or his designee) authorizes the nondisclosure
requirement."  Aren't the Patriot and Victory Acts (2 versions of each)
just wonderful?

The recipient can challenge the non-disclosure requirement in federal
count; however, all the proceedings remain secret until a decision is
made.  So how many years might that be?  We can't know how many
challenges there are because, well, they recipients have to remain mum
until the case is decided.  So far, there are only 3 known challenges
where the DOJ/FBI rescinded: Kahle (Internet Archive aka WayBackMachine;
Nicholas Merrill, of Calyx Internet Access; and the Connecticut
librarians George Christian, Barbara Bailey, Peter Chase, and Janet
Nocek.  The challenges are per NSL, not umbrella exclusion from further
NSLs.  Looks like Kahle (or someone else responsible at the Internet
Archive) got hit with another NSL this time regarding TrueCrypt: all the
archive pages at the WayBackMachine for the TrueCrypt site suddenly
disappeared.  Does that look like just data collection to you?

Google received 0 to 999 NSLs each year between 2009 and 2012
(http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/userdatarequests/US/).  They
probably aren't allow to provide an exact count because the scope of
each subpoena required non-disclosure on each.  If you can't disclose
any, any count would imply disclosure.

Since the national security letter is secret and the defendents must
remain silent, we don't know what they say or demand.  It's a secret.

"Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have
to show you no stinkin' badges"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsdZKCh6RsU, 0:09 timemark)

> In particular, it could not require someone to refrain from revealing 
> that some party, government, or otherwise, had compromised Truecrypt.
>
>> You might want to see what happened to Lavabit after getting served a
>> secret subpoena (e.g., en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavabit).  Read
>> http://threatpost.com/of-truecrypt-and-warrant-canaries/106355 on how
>> Apple applied a warrant canary.
> 
> Yes, but that was a different situation entirely.

How?  Lavabit got a subpoena (national security letter) and decided to
close shop rather than comply (for a writ declaring surrending data
records on ALL their customers' communications).  Looks like the
TrueCrypt authors got a NSL, too, so they also closed shop.  Rather than
fight with the advantage so heavily weighted to the DOJ, both chose to
leave.  If they chose the challenge to rescind non-disclosure, that's
all secret, too, so we'll only know if they win in federal count.

The Vogons showed up so the dolphins left saying, "So long, and thanks
for all the fish".
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Invb2vHPLLc, timemark 1:34:10)

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#3739

On 18/06/2014 4:25 PM, VanguardLH wrote:

> It's the Justice Department issuing the secret subpoena.  They don't
> need a court.  They are a court.

OK, I should have simplified it:

It's subpoena, not an order.

Sylvia.

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#3727

On 2014-06-17 13:09:05 +0000, Sylvia Else said:

> On 17/06/2014 9:13 PM, RS Wood wrote:
>> Interesting post on SoylentNews today.  There were rumors and suspicion
>> the project was so hastily abandoned because developers realized they
>> had been infiltrated by the NSA.  Now it looks like that was true:
>> 
>> http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/06/17/0511216
>> 
>> TrueCrypt Site Encodes Warning about NSA Infiltration
>> posted by  LaminatorX on Tuesday June 17, @10:30AM
>> from the Paging-Dan-Brown dept.
>> 
>> Jeremiah Cornelius writes:
>> 
>> In an update to the speculation that TrueCrypt development was
>> officially discontinued as a response to efforts by US intelligence
>> agencies to compromise the project, the TrueCrypt web site seems to
>> contain a secret message warning potential users of NSA interference in
>> the integrity of the software. The apparent message, "Don't use
>> TrueCrypt because it is under the control of the NSA" is read as an
>> acrostic in Latin, contained in the message announcing developer
>> cessation of the project on SouceForge. Two independent analytical
>> exercises, conducted independently, arrive at the same conclusion. User
>> "Badon" at the Live Business Chat message board has a detailed exegesis
>> including screenshots and footnotes.
>> 
>> [EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
>> and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
>> of proper Latin grammar and syntax. However, Google Translation does
>> reproduce these results. I can certainly believe that a warning might
>> have been composed using G.T. rather than by consulting a classicist.
>> --ED]
>> 
> 
> While it would not surprise me if the NSA were to try to put backdoors 
> into Truecrypt, I can't see why those in control of the project 
> wouldn't just come right out and say it, together with whatever 
> evidence they have.
> 
> It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.
> 
> Sylvia.

We don't know what these secret National Security Letters say, as it is 
illegal to disclose their contents or even the fact that one has been 
received.

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#3729

On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 23:09:05 +1000, Sylvia Else
<sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:

> It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.

The federal government can start an investigation of you to find any small
law you may have violated and bring you up on charges. If you have any
assets you will lose them paying lawyers to defend yourself. They will
also go after family members and friends. 

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229/ref=sr_1_1

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#3737

On 18/06/2014 7:03 AM, Mark Harvard wrote:
> On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 23:09:05 +1000, Sylvia Else
> <sylvia@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>
>> It's not as if it could be covered by a security letter.
>
> The federal government can start an investigation of you to find any small
> law you may have violated and bring you up on charges. If you have any
> assets you will lose them paying lawyers to defend yourself. They will
> also go after family members and friends.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Three-Felonies-Day-Target-Innocent/dp/1594035229/ref=sr_1_1
>

We have our own share of absurd laws in Australia. Until I pointed it 
out to a newspaper, and they published an article about it, it was the 
law that if you boarded an aircraft and noticed a bomb under the seat, 
you were not permitted to say anything about it to the crew.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/stay-in-touch/fined-if-you-do-and-bombed-if-you-dont/2005/12/05/1133631201076.html

The law was subsequently changed.

However, a theoretical possibility of a prosecution is one thing. Actual 
prosecutions are another. Any evidence that the Feds are actually doing 
what the book's description suggests they could?

Sylvia.

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#3723

In article <lnp7sd$k1u$1@solani.org>
RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
>
> Interesting post on SoylentNews today.  There were rumors and suspicion
> the project was so hastily abandoned because developers realized they
> had been infiltrated by the NSA.  Now it looks like that was true:
>
> http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/06/17/0511216

Soylent's post confirms nothing. The cryptic "hidden" message was 
posted here shortly after Truecrypt's web site went down.

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#3726

RS Wood wrote:

> Interesting post on SoylentNews today.  There were rumors and suspicion
> the project was so hastily abandoned because developers realized they
> had been infiltrated by the NSA.  Now it looks like that was true:
> 
> http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/06/17/0511216
> 
> TrueCrypt Site Encodes Warning about NSA Infiltration 
>  posted by  LaminatorX on Tuesday June 17, @10:30AM    
> from the Paging-Dan-Brown dept. 
> 
> Jeremiah Cornelius writes:
> 
> In an update to the speculation that TrueCrypt development was
> officially discontinued as a response to efforts by US intelligence
> agencies to compromise the project, the TrueCrypt web site seems to
> contain a secret message warning potential users of NSA interference in
> the integrity of the software. The apparent message, "Don't use
> TrueCrypt because it is under the control of the NSA" is read as an
> acrostic in Latin, contained in the message announcing developer
> cessation of the project on SouceForge. Two independent analytical
> exercises, conducted independently, arrive at the same conclusion. User
> "Badon" at the Live Business Chat message board has a detailed exegesis
> including screenshots and footnotes. 
> 
> [EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
> and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
> of proper Latin grammar and syntax. However, Google Translation does
> reproduce these results. I can certainly believe that a warning might
> have been composed using G.T. rather than by consulting a classicist.
> --ED]

For those that want to know just what was the "code" used to convey NSA
interferrence, someone took the first letters from words in the first
sentence which (after adding spaces) looked like translated [bad] Latin:

"Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues"
UTI NSA IM CU SI
"Unless I want to use the NSA"
(See http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Badon#TrueCrypt_hidden_message)

Too far reaching and as reliable as using numerology.  I'm sure counting
the hex, decimal, octal, or whatever base for the values of certain
characters in some order might embue a secrete message, too.

If you want to funny results of Google Translate on the "Frozen" song,
see the original at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk) versus
the "translated" version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bVAoVlFYf0.

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#3730

VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH>:

> For those that want to know just what was the "code" used to convey NSA
> interferrence, someone took the first letters from words in the first
> sentence which (after adding spaces) looked like translated [bad] Latin:
>
> "Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues"
> UTI NSA IM CU SI
> "Unless I want to use the NSA"
> (See http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/User:Badon#TrueCrypt_hidden_message)

It doesn't matter if that is Latin or not. What matters is that that
utterance, when given to Google Translate as input, yields that message.
It could be collusion between Google (employees) and TrueCrypt
developers, or the TrueCrypt developers might have gamed Google
Translate.

As it stands, the message is there, even if it were a joke.

How NSA has interfered here is impossible to say. However, it is their
*job* to try to make eavesdropping easier. For example, I wouldn't be
surprised if the NSA were pressuring the FCC, the courts and the
legislators to drop net neutrality. The operators would be more than
willing to give the NSA preferential access to their communications in
exchange for a voice communications monopoly. (Skype is fine because it
is based in the U.S., but a neutral Internet might allow a foreign
contender to become popular.)


Marko

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#3728

On 2014-06-17 11:13:17 +0000, RS Wood said:

> [EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
> and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
> of proper Latin grammar and syntax. However, Google Translation does
> reproduce these results. I can certainly believe that a warning might
> have been composed using G.T. rather than by consulting a classicist.
> --ED]

Loose or vulgar or common Latin offers extreme flexibility in grammar 
and syntax.  After all, look at Italian, Romanian, Spanish, French, and 
Portugese - all local dialects of vulgar Latin.

It is not uncommon to come across Latin texts with wholly un-conjugated 
verbs and such.

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#3732

In article <lnp7sd$k1u$1@solani.org>, RS Wood  <randy@therandymon.com> wrote:
>[EDITOR'S NOTE: I have cross checked this on some Latin specific sites,
>and the consensus seems to be that it is nonsensical from a perspective
>of proper Latin grammar and syntax. 

ROMANES EUNT DOMUS!

:-)

  _/_
 / v \ Scott Alfter (remove the obvious to send mail)
(IIGS( http://alfter.us/            Top-posting!
 \_^_/                              >What's the most annoying thing on Usenet?

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#3733

On 2014-06-17, Scott Alfter <scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us> wrote:
> ROMANES EUNT DOMUS!
>
>:-)
>

Right.  Now write it 500 times, or I'll cut your balls off 

:-)

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#3742

>The apparent message, "Don't use TrueCrypt because it is under the control  
>of the NSA" is read as an acrostic in Latin
This seems a lot like the 'Bible code [1]', if you get try enough ways of  
selecting letters, and ignore misspellings and grammar mistakes, these kinds  
of messages are statistically certain to pop up, someone even found secret  
predictions in 'Moby Dick [2]' .

 From TFA [3]:

>The message on TrueCrypt's new website got me thinking:
>Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues
>Let's isolate the first letter of each word:
>(U)sing (T)rueCrypt (i)s (n)ot (s)ecure (a)s (i)t (m)ay (c)ontain (u)nfixed  
>(s)ecurity (i)ssues
>Result?
>utinsaimcusi
>Let's spread that!
>uti nsa im cu si
>That is latin for
>"If I wish to use the NSA"
>Stay away from future Truecrypt releases. This is clearly a warning from the  
>developers.
If you put the supposed message "If I wish to use the NSA" in Google  
translate it comes up as [4]"Si volueris uti NSA" [5] , so they would have  
had to use deliberately bad Latin.

P.S. Welcome back, and I like the X-face.



[1] http://www.skepdic.com/bibcode.html
[2] http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/dilugim/moby.html
[3] https://www.livebusinesschat.com/smf/index.php?topic=5629.0
[4] https://translate.google.com/#en/la/If%20I%20wish%20to%20use%20the%20NSA
[5] https://translate.google.com/#en/la/If%20I%20wish%20to%20use%20the%20NSA
-- 
regards
~tdk
View this thread at http://squte.com/node/6313#comment-29961

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