[ILUG] [ot] secure sites

[JustinMacCarthy]

Interesting argument in the US re a Smart keyboard bug which captured
keystrokes on some "alleged" mafia
accountant. He was using PGP and encryption so the last time he was arrested
with his laptop the Fed's couldn't find / extract any info from it. Of
course the Feds put the bug in his PC by breaking into his home so it looks
like the case might be thrown out ......

Justin

-----Original Message-----
From: ilug-admin at linux.ie [mailto:ilug-admin at linux.ie]On Behalf Of Gavin
McCullagh
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2001 1:14 PM
To: ilug at linux.ie
Subject: Re: [ILUG] [ot] secure sites


On Thu, 01 Nov 2001, Fergal Daly wrote:

> Saying "anyone" can intercept your credit card number is a bit of an
> exaggeration. It would have to be someone who had superuser access on one
of
> the routers between you and the bank's site and they'd have to be
capturing
> all traffic to the bank's site and analysing it for requests containing
> people's card numbers.
>

Well if the subnet you sit on is not switched, the others on the subnet
could do it either.  That's important in some places (eg a college,
internet cafe, library).  Lot's of very dodgy people playing with stuff on
the UCD network.  Not to mention the number of undiscovered hacked
machines which outsiders have effective control over.

I heard a rumour a year or two ago that some engineer (funnily, these
rumours are always about engineers for some reason) who was planting
keypress recorders on public access machines.

Gavin


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