Speaking on Deep Background, the Press Secretary whispered:
Yes, a *very* well funded and determined adversary can beat crypto (almost always by doing an end run around it). However, raising the bar to that level will eliminate all the successful attacks by lesser adversaries, and can also contribute to the bankrupting of the well-funded - even the FBI can afford only a few Scarfo-scale cases a year...
This is now wildly OT, but to close: a) CALEA, Carnivore etc. are ALL about cost-shifting. The Feebees used to talk about breaking cases with "a dime & a dime" meaning informants calls, and wiretaps. The current fights are about victims^H^Htargets of interest furnishing those dimes themselves. b) Scarfo is case that made little sense to many observers. Nicky was scarcely Vincent Gigante or Gotti; from what I've read, he ran a few girls and some policy [bookmaking] while Daddy is up the river. So why did the Feebees make such a BIG deal out of it? Donno; usually they are that dedicated only when a) HQ is leaning on them or B) they can be on TV.... -- A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433