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Any good symmetric encryption algorithm produces data that looks random. You can't tell whether it's just noise or encrypted data. I'd expect a sane judge to t
by jwr 13y ago
Any good symmetric encryption algorithm produces data that looks random. You can't tell whether it's just noise or encrypted data.
I'd expect a sane judge to treat cases like these as circumstantial evidence — e.g. the police thinks that random data is really encrypted data, but has no proof. From what I know, it is difficult (though not impossible) to land in jail based on circumstantial evidence.
I guess if you use encryption tools that add unencrypted metadata headers (as in "this is a file encrypted using AES-256 in CBC mode"), then the evidence is stronger.
- shabble 13y agoNot quite what you're talking about, but there was recently a couple of posts by the 'binwalk' author about differentiating encrypted vs compressed data (presumed header-less): http://www.devttys0.com/2013/06/differentiate-encryption-from-compression-using-math/ http://www.devttys0.com/2013/06/differentiate-encryption-fro... http://www.devttys0.com/2013/06/encryption-vs-compression-part-2/ http://www.devttys0.com/2013/06/encryption-vs-compression-pa...
- gknoy 13y agoWow! That was really interesting. Thanks for sharing those; have you considered submitting one of them as a story?
- shabble 13y agoThe first was submitted a couple of weeks ago at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5871927 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5871927 but didn't seem to take root. Hopefully there'll be a part 3 that gives an excuse to resubmit :)