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Re: Mixmaster is dead, long live wardriving
by James A. Donald 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

-- On 10 Dec 2004 at 21:47, Joseph Ashwood wrote: > Wardriving is also basically dead. Sure there are a handful > of people that do it, but the number is so small as to be > irrelevant. I regularly use the internet through other people's unprotected wireless networks, simply for convenience while travelling, not for any stego or anonymity purpose. So do lots of other people. I only target places convenient to tourists and likely to be rich in unprotected networks. Maybe your network is located someplace where it is not worth the trouble to find it. Sometimes I go down the street and steal some bandwidth just because I find it a change to work in the open air. --digsig James A. Donald 6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG hOnTAnMFC4mbjwvyxYfLSmvpUXtw2xutPOvdyU0k 4Jx3r8szirxwjD/2L68Q0/BDk3jSlebytG9a9+2IQ

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Gary Webb dies - reported on CIA Cocaine Connections
by Bill Stewart 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/pen… http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/11745531p-12630606c.html (AP Storty) Gary Webb, 49, former Mercury News reporter, author INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST WROTE CONTROVERSIAL SERIES By Jessica Portner Mercury News Gary Webb, a former Mercury News investigative reporter, author and legislative staffer who ignited a firestorm with his controversial stories, died Friday in an apparent suicide in his suburban Sacramento home. He was 49. The Sacramento County coroner's office said that when A Better Moving Company arrived at Mr. Webb's Carmichael home at about 8:20 a.m. Friday, a worker discovered a note posted to the front door which read: ``Please do not enter. Call 911 and ask for an ambulance.'' Mr. Webb, an award-winning journalist, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head, Sacramento County Deputy Coroner Bill Guillot said Saturday. Mr. Webb's friends and colleagues described him as a devoted father and a funny, dogged reporter who was passionate about investigative journalism. As a staff writer for the Mercury News from 1989 to 1997, he exposed freeway retrofitting problems in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and wrote stories about the Department of Motor Vehicles' computer software fiascos. Mr. Webb was perhaps best known for sparking a national controversy with a 1996 story that contended supporters of a CIA-backed guerrilla army in Nicaragua helped trigger America's crack-cocaine epidemic in the 1980s. The ``Dark Alliance'' series in the Mercury News came under fire by other news organizations, and the paper's own investigation concluded the series did not meet its standards. Mr. Webb resigned a year and a half after the series appeared in the paper. He then published his book, ``Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion.'' In the past few years, Mr. Webb worked in the California Assembly Speaker's Office of Member Services and for the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. The committee investigated charges that Oracle received a no-bid contract from Gov. Gray Davis. After being laid off from his legislative post last year, Mr. Webb was hired by the Sacramento News and Review, a weekly publication. Tom Dresslar, a spokesman for state Attorney General Bill Lockyer who has known Mr. Webb for more than a decade, was distraught Saturday when he heard that his friend may have taken his own life. ``He had a fierce commitment to justice, truth and cared a lot about people who are forgotten and society tries to shove into the dark corners,'' Dresslar said. ``It's a big loss for me personally and a great loss for the journalism community.'' Services for Mr. Webb are pending. ---- Bill Stewart bill.stewart(a)pobox.com

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Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages
by R.A. Hettinga 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

Lions and Tigers and Steganography, Nell... For those of you without a program, here is the new, official, Horsemen of the Infocalypse Scorecard: At 3:14 PM -0400 10/3/04, R. A. Hettinga wrote: > Horseman Color Character Nickname > >1 Terrorism Red Shadow "Blinky" >2 Narcotics Pink Speedy "Pinky" >3 Money Laundering Aqua Bashful "Inky" >4 Paedophilia Yellow Pokey "Clyde" Cheers, RAH ------- <http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/12/08/pf-773871.html> December 8, 2004 RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages By JIM BRONSKILL OTTAWA (CP) - The RCMP has warned its investigators to be on the lookout for cleverly disguised messages embedded by al-Qaida in digital files police seize from terror suspects. An internal report obtained by The Canadian Press gives credence to the long-rumoured possibility Osama bin Laden's terrorist network and other extremist groups are using a technique known as steganography to hide the existence of sensitive communications. Steganography, from the Greek word stegos, meaning covered, and graphie, or writing, involves concealing a secret message or image within an apparently innocuous one. For instance, a seemingly innocent digital photo of a dog could be doctored to contain a picture of an explosive device or hidden wording. "Investigators in the course of their work on terrorist organizations and their members, including al-Qaida and affiliated groups, need to consider the possible use of steganography and seek to identify when steganography is known or suspected of being used," the report says. It recommends investigators consult the RCMP's technological crime program for assistance, including "comprehensive forensic examinations" of seized digital media. A heavily edited copy of the January 2004 report, Computer-assisted and Digital Steganography: Use by Al-Qaida and Affiliated Terrorist Organizations, was recently obtained from the Mounties under the Access to Information Act. Among the material stripped from the document is information on how best to detect, extract and view surreptitious messages. Steganography dates to before 400 B.C. The ancient Greeks hid messages in wax tablets, while invisible inks have long been used to convey secrets. Simple computer-assisted steganography helps apply such traditional methods in an electronic environment, the report notes. The messages may also be scrambled using cryptography to prevent them falling into the wrong hands. The RCMP seems especially concerned, however, about digital steganography - the use of special computer programs to embed messages. "There now exist nearly 200 software packages which perform digital steganography," the report says. A limited number of publicly available software tools are designed to detect the use of steganography, but the "success rate of these tools is questionable," the RCMP adds. Some only detect the use of specific software, while others are useful for scouring only certain types of files in which the secret message may be hidden. There have been numerous media reports in recent years that terrorist groups, including al-Qaida, were using steganographic techniques. The phenomenon is "deeply troubling," said David Harris, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service officer now with Ottawa-based Insignis Strategic Research. He suggested any delay in detecting disguised messages could be disastrous. "We're talking very often about time-sensitive issues: where is the bomb? Who's operating in connection with whom?" he said. "On that kind of basis, this is really, really disturbing as a development." Harris also questioned whether western security agencies have sufficient personnel and resources to uncover the messages. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

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Re: punkly current events
by James A. Donald 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

-- On 9 Dec 2004 at 19:47, Joseph Ashwood wrote: > In short, except for those few people who have some use for > MixMaster, MixMaster was stillborn. As one of those few people who have had some use for Mixmaster, it does not seem stillborn to me. --digsig James A. Donald 6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG Ro+kP9M7vm+5D5reA+LsRnc0ZS0gmtCx5gMXfF1C 4b44ZbduosEwPf20ABp+i55nWmvT0qNthPt1OryTC

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Steve Thompson
by A.Melon 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

Out of nowhere cometh Steve Thompson, and sayeth he all manner of things. But, while his mouth moveth one way, he seemeth to move the other. http://groups-beta.google.com/groups?q=%22steve+thompson%22&start=0&hl=en&s… What hath suddenly attracted our AUK creep?

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Gary Webb, 49; Wrote Series Linking CIA, Drugs
by R.A. Hettinga 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

<http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-me-webb12dec12,1,7938237…> The Los Angeles Times OBITUARIES Gary Webb, 49; Wrote Series Linking CIA, Drugs By Nita Lelyveld and Steve Hymon Times Staff Writers December 12, 2004 Gary Webb, an investigative reporter who wrote a widely criticized series linking the CIA to the explosion of crack cocaine in Los Angeles, was found dead in his Sacramento-area home Friday. He apparently killed himself, authorities said. Webb had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Sacramento County coroner's office. He was 49. His 1996 San Jose Mercury News series contended that Nicaraguan drug traffickers had sold tons of crack cocaine from Colombian cartels in Los Angeles' black neighborhoods and then funneled millions in profits back to the CIA-supported Nicaraguan Contras. Three months after the series was published, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it conducted an exhaustive investigation but found no evidence of a connection between the CIA and Southern California drug traffickers. Major newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Washington Post, wrote reports discrediting elements of Webb's reporting. The Los Angeles Times report looked into Webb's charges "that a CIA-related drug ring sent 'millions' of dollars to the Contras; that it launched an epidemic of cocaine use in South-Central Los Angeles and America's other inner cities; and that the agency either approved the scheme or deliberately turned a blind eye." "But the available evidence, based on an extensive review of court documents and more than 100 interviews in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington and Managua, fails to support any of those allegations," The Times reported. Months later, the Mercury News also backed away from the series, publishing an open letter to its readers, admitting to flaws. "We oversimplified the complex issue of how the crack epidemic in America grew," wrote the paper's executive editor, Jerry Ceppos, adding, "I believe that we fell short at every step of our process - in the writing, editing and production of our work." The paper reassigned Webb to a suburban bureau. In December 1997, he quit. "All he ever wanted to do was write," said Webb's ex-wife, Susan Bell, who met him when they were both high school students in Indiana. "He never really recovered from it." Webb was born in Corona to a military family and moved around the country throughout his youth. He dropped out of journalism school just shy of graduating to accept his first newspaper job at the Kentucky Post, then went to the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Mercury News. Within two years of arriving at the paper, Webb was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Webb continued to defend his reporting, most notably in a 548-page book, "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion," which was published in 1999. After leaving the Mercury News, Webb worked in state government, including the Joint Legislative Audit Committee's investigation into then-Gov. Gray Davis' controversial award of a $95-million, no-bid contract to Oracle in 2001. "The guy had a fierce commitment to justice and truth. He cared deeply about the people who are forgotten, that we try to shove into the dark recesses of our minds and world," said Tom Dresslar, a spokesman for the California attorney general's office who worked with Webb on the Oracle investigation. But Webb's career remained troubled. While working for another legislative committee in Sacramento, Webb wrote a report accusing the California Highway Patrol of unofficially condoning and even encouraging racial profiling in its drug interdiction program. Legislative officials released the report in 1999 but cautioned that it was based mainly on assumptions and anecdotes. Earlier this year, Webb was one of a group of employees fired from the Assembly speaker's Office of Member Services for failing to show up for work. Webb, who lived in Carmichael, continued to write occasionally for a variety of publications. Last summer, the weekly Sacramento News & Review hired Webb to cover government and politics. He had recently written two cover stories, including one on how much money Sacramento County was making off the use of red-light cameras. "He's obviously a skilled reporter and writer and he was doing good work for us and the evidence was on the page," said News & Review Editor Tom Walsh. Webb is survived by two sons, Ian and Eric; and a daughter, Chr -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

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RE: Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages
by Major Variola (ret) 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

At 02:47 PM 12/9/04 -0500, Tyler Durden wrote: >Oh, general cluelessness doesn't suprise me. What suprises me is that the >writer of the original article seemed to believe that Stego was a new >development. The high-level pigs try to introduce this hysteria-generator periodically. The dumb typists eat what they're fed. Eventually it reaches critical mass in Joe Sixpacks and Tipper Gore comes out whining about the chiiildren. This is the intent of the high level pigs. Psyops ain't just for the (overt) military you know... -------- Stego rules for a safer tomorrow: 1. Always use original carrier image/sounds/whatever 2. Generally broadcasting (eg eBay) is best, recipients should download lots of similar carriers 3. Keep S/N low so detection is problematic 4. Wardrive injection/download is best 5. Keep your tools on your flash drive not your HD

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Gentlemen don't read each others' mail.. bush no gman
by Major Variola (ret) 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

Anyone surprised that the US spooks are admitting to wiretapping UN people? If they really had info they'd state it but refuse to answer how they got it. Somehow I doubt that UN officials and the people they might chat with will get the secure phones they need. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57928-2004Dec11.html?nav=rss…

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Re: Mixmaster is dead, long live wardriving
by Major Variola (ret) 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

At 06:01 PM 12/11/04 +0000, Justin wrote: >On 2004-12-11T06:48:41-0800, Major Variola (ret) wrote: >> Mixmaster is the most godawful complex thing to use, much less >> administer, around. Even Jack B Nymble is complex. It needs a simple >> luser interface and something to piggyback servers on. > >Not necessarily. Mixmaster is trivial to use with Mutt. > >1. Compile Mixmaster You've already lost 90% of your possible hosts >2. Put the binary in some directory somewhere. >3. Configure Mutt with --with-mixmaster (sadly not enabled by default) >4. add the line 'set mixmaster="/location/to/bin/mixmaster"' to .muttrc >5. mkdir ~user/Mix/ >6. Add a script to crontab that does: You're obviously talking about some fringe unix-like OS... >7. When sending email, at the summary page just before sending, hit 'M'. And if you forget then your message is sent to the To: recipient. Nice easy-to-screw-up UI there :-(

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commitment trust
by R.W. (Bob) Erickson 12 Dec '04

12 Dec '04

from R. H Frank's "Passion within reason" to gain trust we show our commitment by doing hard work. In web's of trust, one way to add to new reputation would be to require each new node to perform an asymmetrically difficult task for more than one pre-existing node, on top of existing anti-faking provisions. hash-cash buys a chance to earn trust, it functions as a hard to fake gesture of sincerity --bob

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