Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages

[Tyler Durden]

What a fuckin' joke. You mean they're only now realizing that Al-Qaeda could 
use stego? Do they think they're stupid?

Nah...certainly the NSA are fully prepared to handle this. I doubt it's much 
of a development at all to those in the know.

-TD

>From: "R.A. Hettinga" <rah at shipwright.com>
>To: cryptography at metzdowd.com, cypherpunks at al-qaeda.net, 
>osint at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Blinky Rides Again: RCMP suspect al-Qaida messages
>Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2004 09:14:41 -0500
>
>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 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'