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The way in which TrueCrypt "became abandoned" does not inspire confidence as well. Considering they left a cryptic and very strange exit note that many perceiv

The way in which TrueCrypt "became abandoned" does not inspire confidence as well. Considering they left a cryptic and very strange exit note that many perceived as a notice of law enforcement activity.

Nition 10y ago
If anything that cryptic abandonment actually gave me more confidence in TrueCrypt. Was it so hard to crack that the government shut it down?
- paavokoya 10y ago
  I meant confidence in what came after it. Meaning the likelihood of a backdoored and/or weak software was likely.
  - tptacek 10y ago
    This is the "NSAKEY" of open source crypto conspiracy theories.
    - quickben 10y ago
      As far as I recall, there are 8 bytes set to zero in the TC header at a very curious location.
      - tptacek 10y ago
        That's always how these worst backdoors begin... with curious patterns of zeroes. How better to zero out a key than with actual zeroes. Nobody will ever suspect!
  - Nition 10y ago
    Ah I get what you meant now, I agree. If some entity already had their eye on TrueCrypt and had shut it down, you wouldn't expect them to let a copycat pop up unless it was less secure.
goatsi 10y ago
The strongest evidence I have seen is that the developer was arrested by the DEA on unrelated charges.[0] The full story about him is fascinating and well worth the read.[1] [0] http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-strange-origins-of-truecrypt-isiss-favored-encryption-tool http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-strange-origins-... [1] https://mastermind.atavist.com/ https://mastermind.atavist.com/
- acqq 10y ago
  It's not a developer of TrueCrypt but of E4M. At the time TrueCrypt was developed Le Roux was busy with doing crimes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E4M https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E4M https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Le_Roux https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Le_Roux Although TrueCrypt existed since 2004 he ordered his employees around 2007 to use E4M (which would be improbable if he really developed TrueCrypt). The developer (or developers) of TrueCrypt isn't publicly known.

Nition 10y ago

If anything that cryptic abandonment actually gave me more confidence in TrueCrypt. Was it so hard to crack that the government shut it down?

paavokoya 10y ago
I meant confidence in what came after it. Meaning the likelihood of a backdoored and/or weak software was likely.
- tptacek 10y ago
  This is the "NSAKEY" of open source crypto conspiracy theories.
  - quickben 10y ago
    As far as I recall, there are 8 bytes set to zero in the TC header at a very curious location.
    - tptacek 10y ago
      That's always how these worst backdoors begin... with curious patterns of zeroes. How better to zero out a key than with actual zeroes. Nobody will ever suspect!
- Nition 10y ago
  Ah I get what you meant now, I agree. If some entity already had their eye on TrueCrypt and had shut it down, you wouldn't expect them to let a copycat pop up unless it was less secure.

goatsi 10y ago

The strongest evidence I have seen is that the developer was arrested by the DEA on unrelated charges.[0] The full story about him is fascinating and well worth the read.[1] [0] http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-strange-origins-of-truecrypt-isiss-favored-encryption-tool http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-strange-origins-... [1] https://mastermind.atavist.com/ https://mastermind.atavist.com/

acqq 10y ago
It's not a developer of TrueCrypt but of E4M. At the time TrueCrypt was developed Le Roux was busy with doing crimes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E4M https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E4M https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Le_Roux https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Le_Roux Although TrueCrypt existed since 2004 he ordered his employees around 2007 to use E4M (which would be improbable if he really developed TrueCrypt). The developer (or developers) of TrueCrypt isn't publicly known.