Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages

[R.A. Hettinga]

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
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<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.



-- 
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R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at 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'