Subject: Opening shots in the war on Steganography Sender: owner-cryptography@wasabisystems.com

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/primetime/DailyNews/PRIMETIME_011004_steganog...

A Secret Language

Hijackers May Have Used Secret Internet Messaging Technique

By Brian Ross

Oct. 4  The terrorists responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks may have communicated over the Internet using a computer version of invisible

that allows secret messages to be concealed in image and music files.

Western intelligence officials say they have learned that instructors at Osama bin Laden's camps in remote Afghanistan train his followers in

ink the

high-tech secret-messaging technique.

And French investigators believe that suspects arrested in an alleged plot to blow up the U.S. Embassy in Paris were to get the go-ahead for the attack via a message hidden in a picture posted on the Internet, former French defense official Alexis Debat told ABCNEWS.

One of the men in custody, described by French officials as a computer nerd well-versed in the messaging technique, was captured with a notebook full of secret codes. "This code book is major breakthrough in

the investigation," said Debat.

Covered Writing

To transmit a hidden message, the sender uses specialized software to hide a text message  or a graphical file such as a building plan  inside another file, such as an image file or an MP3 music file.

"Criminal organizations, terrorist organizations around the world use this," said Chet Hosmer, an Internet security expert who has been helping the FBI and military intelligence since Sept. 11 track down hidden communications on the Internet.

"Images that might be in an e-mail message that I send to you, that has

a picture of my dog or my cat  I hide an actual secret message inside that image that no one else would be able to detect or see," Hosmer said.

Good introduction so far..

For example, with a few clicks and the right password, a terrorist

could

use a picture of the Mona Lisa, or an MP3 of the U.S. national anthem, to carry a secret coded message, such as a seating chart for an airliner or a list of flights out of Boston.

But here Joe Sixpack might get confused, because Joe hasn't been to Europe to take an original picture, and doesn't sing. Chet ought to have said baby pictures or live audio recordings.

The technique is known as "steganography," meaning covered writing.

"It actually goes back to Roman times when they used to shave the head of messengers, and tattoo secret messages on their scalp," said Hosmer.

"It really doesn't have very many legitimate purposes.

Fuck you Chet.

The purpose is to actually hide the fact that you are communicating."

Instructions Via E-mail

In addition to low-tech equipment like box-cutters, the alleged hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks also had e-mail accounts at Yahoo! and Hotmail.

Suspected ringleader Mohamed Atta was seen repeatedly by witnesses using his Hotmail account at public libraries in Florida to surf the Internet, downloading what appeared to be pictures of children and scenes of the Middle East.

Special FBI squads are working full-time on the Internet connections of

the 19 alleged hijackers, going through accounts at America Online and other service providers.

Investigators are also searching cyberspace for more deadly messages and warnings that could help them take precautions against future terrorist

attacks.