Re: Ex-CIA Joshua Schulte Describes His Data/Crypto Hiding Prowess

=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90 Original Me=
ssage =E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90=E2=80=90
On Thursday, February 27, 2020 11:43 PM, John Young <jya-IR+WnUzluqRWk0Htik3J/[email protected]> wrot=
e:

> Ex-CIA Joshua Schulte Describes His Data/Crypto Hiding Prowess
> (WikiLeaks Vault 7)
>
> "Which brings me to my next point. Do you know what my
> specialty was at the CIA? Do you know what I did for fun?
> Data hiding and crypto. 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. How better to fool buffoons like
> forensic examiners and the FBI than to have custom software
> that doesn't fit into their two-week class where they become
> forensic experts? Make no mistake. I am an expert in data
> hiding and cryptography with thousands of hours of experience
> and among the top specialists in the world, or was."


Joshua continuing to prove he lacks good sense in legal matters.  these ste=
ganographic techniques are most effective when not suspected.  if you point=
 out you're using them, the adversary is going to reverse them, negating yo=
ur advantage. (full disk encryption helps protect against disclosure, but F=
DE is designed for confidentiality, not covertness!)

back at DEF CON 13 discussed a system with an MIT alum; he used the inode e=
ntries themselves as covert storage. slack space is poor at stealth!  down =
side with inode approach is paltry volume sizes, relative to cover storage.=
 (although, i'd argue, the effectiveness makes it attractive, none the less=
 :)

best regards,