Most of this discussion is not productive, if I may say so.

par0d0xe is very security-conscious with his data if not, apparently, with his hardware. While clearly nothing is 100%, it seems highly unlikely that whoever stole the laptop would:

a) Have taken it for any reason other than simply reselling it,
b) Have known that such information was on the laptop, and
c) Be capable of bypassing par0d0xe's security to get at the information

Quote :

"Statements like "All of this plus some of my personal information is on it, which is not a big deal anymore" really don't give me a lot of confidence either."

There's no particular reason to assume that his personal information was guarded with the same security as the other stuff, meaning that it might have been rather more vulnerable and that changing it would have been wholly justifiable.

Quote :

"Perhaps it would have been best for him to put the laptop somewhere in the house that only the people who lived there or close friends would go. "

Where is this, just out of curiosity? Where can things be kept so secure? Unless you've got someone guarding the more "exclusive" parts of the house, there's nothing to keep someone from sneaking back there and poking around.

---

I have known both par0d0xe and katiencbabe for several years. They both take their work seriously.

Quote :

"I've emailed the director of the school board as well as their lawyer with a link to this thread and told them that a laptop with thousands of NC employees personal information has been stolen. "

This is outrageous. If you felt that it was your duty to play the role of The Tattler, fine, but why was it not sufficient to say that a laptop had been stolen? Why was it necessary to direct employers to this thread, which includes a great deal of potentially harmful information that is completely irrelevant for purposes of informing employees that their information may be compromised?

9/2/2007 7:09:36 PM

Quote :

"Where can things be kept so secure?"

a safe perhaps? maybe a locked closet or cabinet?

too obvious i guess.

9/2/2007 8:59:39 PM

^ How about something even more simple like anywhere that's not out in the open when you have a house full of people you don't know.

9/2/2007 9:08:17 PM

it isnt like people go and wander around your house if you leave for a few minutes. a bedroom would have been sufficient most likely.

9/2/2007 9:40:55 PM

Quote :

"a safe perhaps? maybe a locked closet or cabinet?"

How many people have these? I know I can't lock any closets or cabinets in my parents' house or my apartment right now, and I damn sure don't have a safe.

Quote :

"it isnt like people go and wander around your house if you leave for a few minutes. a bedroom would have been sufficient most likely."

I hear people complain all the time about stuff disappearing from all over their house after parties and whatnot. It's not normally like people to steal laptops, either, but it happens. I'd just as soon have it in a room where either myself or one of my friends would be all night to see it.

9/2/2007 10:10:41 PM

Thanks to everyone for their thorough remarks on all aspects of this discussion except the relevant part, with the exception of noen and grumpy that is.

Everything is taken care of now that the laptop went online today. The laptop has been tracerouted and with some help from a friendly time warner lady has been located. The appropriate people will now make an attempt to recover the laptop. The important databases have been recovered and erased remotely so it is no longer a threat.

As for duro982, I talked to the boss man and he never received any email, but maybe you sent it to someone else and they will have a good laugh on Tuesday. Every pertinent party has been informed so it is taken care of.

As for most people in this thread, next time that someone comes online with a problem, you may want to reconsider your responses and actually try to help them or just keep your mouth shut.

On the off chance that the thief is reading this, I would suggest your quickly drive to the nearest dumpster and or lake to cut your losses.

P.S. I still need a laptop so pm me if you have one for sale tomorrow or else I will be going to the store on Tuesday.

9/3/2007 12:19:24 AM

dnl wanted me to say he is suspended

9/3/2007 12:31:25 AM

why is he suspended?

9/3/2007 12:34:37 AM

Oh yea and on another note, the reward is still there but different. Now its $200 for the laptop in one piece just so i do not have to buy another one. Give it back and nobody will come looking, otherwise we i'll just leave it to the big boys to come by whenever they can make it. keep in mind that I do not personally know the address of the theif, only that we have confirmation on the address. I do not have any way of identifying you personally so just bring it back if you can and i will assume you got it out of a trash can.

9/3/2007 12:42:31 AM

glad to hear you notified your boss. Hope you get your laptop back.

9/3/2007 12:47:29 AM

^snitches get stitches

Quote :

"the laptop went online today"

haha, i bet the douche didn't think about that anti-theft device, probably was going on to check his myspace. Why haven't the police gotten to the address yet?

9/3/2007 3:31:40 AM

there should be nothing wrong with "snitching" on something you're not involved with in any way.

sure, if you were one of the party organizers, then it would be pretty shitty to snitch on your friends, but duro982 has more of an obligation to society at this point than to some random asshole who left his shit out during a party

[Edited on September 3, 2007 at 6:50 AM. Reason : s]

9/3/2007 6:48:28 AM

Quote :

"Thanks to everyone for their thorough remarks on all aspects of this discussion except the relevant part, with the exception of noen and grumpy that is. [...] As for most people in this thread, next time that someone comes online with a problem, you may want to reconsider your responses and actually try to help them or just keep your mouth shut."

Seriously, what the fuck did you, GrumpyGOP, and Noen expect? You guys seem to take it as a personal affront when the thread didn't go exactly as wanted. The thread didn't even take an unusual turn yet your collective panties are in a bunch. With 35,282 posts between the three of you, I'd think you'd have a pretty good idea what happens to threads when you make them. Or is the self-righteous indignation just a cover for the fact that you let "quite a few 'strangers'" into your home and then are suprised when things go missing?

Quote :

"If you felt that it was your duty to play the role of The Tattler, fine, but why was it not sufficient to say that a laptop had been stolen? Why was it necessary to direct employers to this thread, which includes a great deal of potentially harmful information that is completely irrelevant for purposes of informing employees that their information may be compromised?"

Quote :

"As for duro982, [...]"

Again, what do you expect when you air your dirty laundry on the internet? Especially when it has juicy tidbits like:

"The laptop has a lot of information that could potentially ruin plenty of people's lives in the wrong hands"

"they can use the information very easily without being traced"

"I am really crossing my fingers that mine is not one of the lives that can be ruined"

"The information on this laptop for for the state school board. It includes account numbers and about 2400 social security numbers of state government officials. Also it has a microsoft access database for about 4000 rocky mount nc employees."

I would have expected the three of you to be savvy enough to know that if you put something on the internet that's as personal and sensitive as "I lost a laptop with a bunch of social security numbers on it", you're running a chance of getting burned.

Next time you want to climb on your high horse, don't.

9/3/2007 9:55:09 AM

this thread makes me lol

and another thing:

why the hell are ssns and other personal information saved on laptops

store that shit on a secure server and only allow access when you are on the company lan

there is no reason that any one needs to carry around people's information like that

especially this douchebag that allowed the laptop to get stolen

9/3/2007 10:28:49 AM

BUT.... IT WAS ENCRAPTYED??!!

9/3/2007 12:03:49 PM

par0d0xe is a man of many faults and shortcomings, but his abilities with electronic security are not among them.

Quote :

"Again, what do you expect when you air your dirty laundry on the internet? Especially when it has juicy tidbits"

Well, in fairness, I probably wouldn't have mentioned all the information on it, and I don't think that was a particularly good idea for a number of reasons. The wolfweb is a notorious haven for douchebags. That doesn't excuse anyone for acting like a douchebag, though.

Quote :

"I am really crossing my fingers that mine is not one of the lives that can be ruined"

This was mostly in jest. par0d0xe was the computer and internet guy at my house, and far better at such things than me, leading me to occasionally muse as to what access he may have actually had to my computer (not that I suspect he'd ever use it for anything more nefarious than a practical joke).

9/3/2007 5:45:49 PM

Quote :

"How many people have these? I know I can't lock any closets or cabinets in my parents' house or my apartment right now, and I damn sure don't have a safe."

A lot of people have safes. Esp. if they want to keep things from walking away. Hell, even a keyed doorknob works and that's only $7 at target (for a closet) or <$70 for a large enough safe. I know most people can afford either to store something that valuable.

My god, you try to seem intelligent, but your response was pitiful.

9/3/2007 10:17:57 PM

Quote :

"A lot of people have safes."

They may not be rare, but they're certainly not commonplace. I should think that fewer people have safes than have work laptops with potentially sensitive information on them.

A lockable closet is more reasonable, sure. What I don't think is quite so reasonable is expecting someone to keep their computer in their all the time when they aren't using it, or to rush to lock it up as soon as company comes over.

The sensitive information was already well-protected by electronic means. Those aren't foolproof, but neither is locking a closet (as par0d0xe already knows from my numerous experiences breaking into his room to steal his cigarettes). Sure, putting the thing in a locked room increases security, but so would putting it in a safety deposit box, or placing it under secret service protection at Fort Knox.

The point is, where do you draw the line? The data was already safe from reasonable threats. Sure, there are people who could get at it, but those would almost certainly stand to make bigger payoffs doing something other than finding the names and social security numbers (not exactly the most secure pieces of information) of a school district's employees.

The vast majority of the assholery in this thread is a result of katiencbabe putting up the original post as an alarmist assessment of the situation based on incomplete information. Then the wolfweb stuck with that version because it was easiest to do and had the most potential for flaming and hillarity, whether it was really accurate or not. Because katiencbabe initially sounded freaked out (and, to those who know her, that's not all that out of the ordinary), you all assumed that any subsequent attempt to reduce the amount of alarm was an effort to cover their asses, rather than a reassesment of the situation taking into account more complete information.

9/4/2007 12:15:57 AM

Quote :

"Seriously, what the fuck did you, GrumpyGOP, and Noen expect?"

I expect for people such as yourself and duro who have NO FUCKING CLUE about computer security or data standards (especially here in NC) not get involved at all. You both made it plain as day you didn't have a clue in hell what you were talking about, instead choosing to sensationalize some completely bogus fantasy situation.

9/4/2007 12:20:18 AM

glad to know the people in control of important information are taking the necessary safety precautions to keep it safe

9/4/2007 6:58:01 AM

i think its funny that Noen believes the only way to compromise computer security is through brute force cracking

9/4/2007 7:04:16 AM

Came here to say...

Wow, seems like a government laptop with SS numbers is stolen once every few months.

But now I'll just say that it's funny how Neon is slamming people for making assumptions with one hand while basing it all on assumptions he makes with the other.

Now it's my turn to make assumptions:

Quote :

"Now its $200 for the laptop in one piece just so i do not have to buy another one."

You have to buy your own laptop for work? That's pretty lame. In fact I doubt they would make you do that. And before you say that its your personal laptop that you just decide to use so you can do work from home I'll say that I doubt they would allow you to put information that sensitive on a personal machine.

Quote :

"Give it back and nobody will come looking, otherwise we i'll just leave it to the big boys to come by whenever they can make it."

Man, this whole story is starting to sound made up. Give it back, no harm, no foul. Right. Someone just stole a computer with SSNs on it and we're just going to turn the lights off and if the laptop is back on the counter before we turn the lights back on no one gets in trouble. Oh, but if you don't give it back we'll send the goon squad out to your house to pick it up whenever they can pencil it into their schedule.

Did they trace the laptop back to Bel Air?

Quote :

"A lot of people have safes."

And a lot of people have a closet or even a simple thing like a blanket... anything to keep something expensive out of sight. But yeah, if your glove compartment doesn't lock with a key you might as well just put the hundred dollar bill on the dashboard.

[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 7:41 AM. Reason : -]

9/4/2007 7:27:20 AM

Quote :

"NO FUCKING CLUE about computer security"

When you say computer security, does that include physical security of data too?

Quote :

"choosing to sensationalize"

Quote :

" stuck with that version because it was easiest to do and had the most potential for flaming and hillarity, whether it was really accurate or not."

Quote :

"majority of the assholery in this thread"

Clearly, suggesting that par0d0xe report the loss of a month's worth of work and 2400 social security numbers is wrong, irresponsible, and nothing more than flaming.

Quote :

"What I don't think is quite so reasonable is expecting someone to keep their computer in their [secure storage] all the time when they aren't using it"

I hope you never have the opportunity to work with classified information, because that's exactly what they will expect you to do.

Quote :

"rush to lock it up as soon as company comes over."

If company consists of people you actually know and trust, sure there's probably not much need to stow the laptop. If company consists of complete strangers, then yes, I would expect the laptop to placed somewhere more secure than on the livingroom bookshelf.


If I was hooksaw I would put a rolly-eyed smilely here. The only hillarity in this thread is the condescention with which GrumpyGOP, Noen, and par0d0xe try to convince everyone that losing data you've been entrusted with is no big deal.

[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 7:36 AM. Reason : ]

9/4/2007 7:35:26 AM

this thread was an awesome read

i just wanted to come in here and point and laff

duro982 won this thread no matter if you like it or not

9/4/2007 11:32:59 AM

Quote :

"Clearly, suggesting that par0d0xe report the loss of a month's worth of work and 2400 social security numbers is wrong, irresponsible, and nothing more than flaming. "

I don't recall ever hearing par0d0xe say that he wasn't going to report the incident. From the sound of it, he has reported the incident.

Quote :

"I hope you never have the opportunity to work with classified information, because that's exactly what they will expect you to do."

It's confidential, not classified. There are several relevant, key differences between the two. It's also the man's personally owned laptop, not a piece of company equipment.

Quote :

"And a lot of people have a closet or even a simple thing like a blanket... anything to keep something expensive out of sight."

He mentioned that it was covered up and pretty much out of site.

Quote :

"Give it back, no harm, no foul."

Actually, this sounds pretty much exactly like par0d0xe. Whether it's the most advisable course of action I can't say, but it is what he'd do.

I've already mentioned that the laptop was in fact his personal computer, but let me expand on that in saying that much of his work is done remotely. I also think a lot of you are overstating how "sensitive" a list of names and social security numbers is. Yes, it can be used for nefarious purposes, but it's not exactly the goddamn launch codes. It's readily available enough from so many sources that only a certain amount of security is justified in protecting it, and par0d0xe's electronic security would have been comparable to the means that protect it a number of other places. It's also a piece of information used in so many different capacities that I'm not the least bit surprised that they let a person whose job would require regular access to them keep them on the computer from which he does most of his work.

9/4/2007 11:45:51 AM

Quote :

"I also think a lot of you are overstating how "sensitive" a list of names and social security numbers is. "

you've obviously never been the victim of identity theft.

9/4/2007 11:50:34 AM

i just want to add:

why the hell are you inviting sketchy strangers into your home in the first place?

and

i have a safe

the end

9/4/2007 11:57:35 AM

^^ if somebody had stolen the laptop knowing that info was on there because they could do something with it then you might have a point. there are tons of much easier ways to get SSN's, and identity thieves know how to do this. Random hobo's that steal a laptop from somebody's house don't have a clue how to us the info to. Now, if it had credit card numbers, billing addresses, mother maiden name, etc on it then you might have a point. But for just SSN's you don't

9/4/2007 1:14:22 PM

Quote :

"I don't recall ever hearing par0d0xe say that he wasn't going to report the incident. From the sound of it, he has reported the incident."

When the suggestion was originally made, nothing had been said other than "Is there anything we can do?" After the suggestion had been made, par0d0xe made no indication that he had or had not contacted anyone. Regardless, par0d0xe's silence does not change the fact that reporting the incident is a valid and prudent suggestion--not sensationalism, flaming, or assholery.

Quote :

"It's also the man's personally owned laptop"

The laptop may be his. The information on it was not.

Quote :

"He mentioned that it was covered up and pretty much out of site."

Out of sight on a bookshelf where it was noticed by a high and drunk "sketch" guy in 5 minutes?


Why was this thread ever made? It's clear that par0d0xe, Noen and yourself have no interest in anything anyone had to say.

9/4/2007 1:28:25 PM

Quote :

"It's clear that par0d0xe, Noen and yourself have no interest in anything anyone had to say."

katiencbabe was originally asking about what recourse could be taken to deal with the theft, but after par0d0xe came on it turned primarily into a way to publicize the reward on the off chance that it might get the laptop back. Of course, hardly anybody had anything to say about how to get the laptop back, and nobody seemed to have any knowledge of the thing's whereabouts to collect the reward, so a bunch of you instead took the thread to be a place where you could revel in someone else's misfortune and tell him how screwed he was, which is just oh-so-productive.

Quote :

"why the hell are you inviting sketchy strangers into your home in the first place?"

I'm guessing they were friends of a friend. You mean to tell me you've never had a person you know stop by to hang out with a person you didn't know in tow?

Quote :

"reporting the incident is a valid and prudent suggestion--not sensationalism, flaming, or assholery."

But suggesting that the incident be reported wasn't where it stopped, now was it?

9/4/2007 3:00:07 PM

Quote :

"a bunch of you instead took the thread to be a place where you could revel in someone else's misfortune and tell him how screwed he was, which is just oh-so-productive."

Quote :

"But suggesting that the incident be reported wasn't where it stopped, now was it?"

Let's review the thread:

katiencbabe - Help, I've lost a laptop! Some people could get burned by this.

[...]

katiencbabe - I shouldn't trust people so much.

[...]

GrumpyGOP - I hope I don't get burned! Call the cops.

[...]

duro982 - Call the cops.

par0d0xe - Have you seen my laptop? It has "account numbers and about 2400 social security numbers of state government officials. Also it has a microsoft access database for about 4000 rocky mount nc employees."

[...]

par0d0xe - "the laptop is secure"

duro982 - If your laptop has that kind of information on it, you should really let them know.

par0d0xe - I just want my laptop back. It's encrypted.

A Tanzarian - No, seriously. You should let some people know.

Noen - All of you are retarded.

A Tanzarian - Thanks for the input Noen.

par0d0xe - Nothing to worry about. It's encrypted.

Noen - All of you are retarded. No one could possibly know enough to use the information on the laptop.

A Tanzarian - Yes, odds are that nothing will happen. But encryption is not foolproof.

Noen - All of you are retarded. The internet is not the place for speculation. [I'm still unclear as to what speculation he's refering to.]

[...]

duro982 - The school board knows now!

Noen - All of you are retarded. RC5 and RC6 are invincible!

And from there it devolves into Noen calling everyone retarded for believing that encryption can be broken, you calling everyone an asshole for suggesting that par0d0xe is any way responsible for the theft, and par0d0xe dropping a 'Thanks for nothing, assholes.'

Ignoring the 'There's one in classifieds!' type remarks that show up every time someone reports something lost, please tell me: who is revelling in par0d0xe's misfortune?

If you say duro982, I don't think he's revelling in misfortune as much as he's doing what he thinks is right. Regardless, that particular action is a consequence of airing dirty laundry on t-dub.

So, who is revelling in par0d0xe's misfortune?

[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 3:36 PM. Reason : ]

9/4/2007 3:35:37 PM

Quote :

"I'm guessing they were friends of a friend. You mean to tell me you've never had a person you know stop by to hang out with a person you didn't know in tow?"

no. i never have. i don't hang out with people who have friend who is likely or are themselves likely to take my shit.

[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 4:46 PM. Reason : ]

9/4/2007 4:46:03 PM

Quote :

"When you say computer security, does that include physical security of data too?"

If it's well encrypted and a working copy, no, because it doesnt matter. Way to show your igorance again though.

Quote :

"i think its funny that Noen believes the only way to compromise computer security is through brute force cracking"

I think it's funny I never said that. However in THIS case, there are only two ways to get to the data, one of which being brute force. The other is the highly unlikely scenario that the encryption key was stored in plaintext somewhere on the laptop. Which, even with the little I know about paradoxe, wouldn't happen.

Quote :

"But now I'll just say that it's funny how Neon is slamming people for making assumptions with one hand while basing it all on assumptions he makes with the other."

You obviously didn't read the thread. My entire point was everyone should shut the fuck up because none of us knew the truth of the matter. My retorts were simply to mitigate the retarded claims of some others in this thread.

Quote :

"Man, this whole story is starting to sound made up. Give it back, no harm, no foul. Right."

This happens all the time. Much higher chance of recover. Nothing made up or stupid about it.

Quote :

"Clearly, suggesting that par0d0xe report the loss of a month's worth of work and 2400 social security numbers is wrong, irresponsible, and nothing more than flaming."

Yes. He didn't lose SSN's. He lost work. Because his shit was stolen. The data is not the only copy, therefore it's not lost. Only his work itself. It's unfortunate, not irresponsible.

Quote :

"I hope you never have the opportunity to work with classified information, because that's exactly what they will expect you to do."

Right. Because I'm sure you deal with sensitive classified data systems a lot, being that you don't even understand basic cryptography.

Quote :

"If I was hooksaw I would put a rolly-eyed smilely here. The only hillarity in this thread is the condescention with which GrumpyGOP, Noen, and par0d0xe try to convince everyone that losing data you've been entrusted with is no big deal."

Get it through your pea brain. No entrusted data was lost. It was a secure copy.

9/4/2007 5:35:40 PM

Quote :

"The other is the highly unlikely scenario that the encryption key was stored in plaintext somewhere on the laptop."

a lot of very smart people store passwords in plaintext on the machine. it's just really hard to remember a 32 character password.

9/4/2007 5:42:43 PM

Quote :

"If it's well encrypted and a working copy, no, [physical security] doesnt matter. Way to show your igorance again though."

So, Noen the master cryptographer claims that physical security is not an essential component of data security.

Quote :

"The other is the highly unlikely scenario that the encryption key was stored in plaintext somewhere on the laptop."

It doesn't have to be in plain text. Depending on what he used to encrypt the data, you may be able to gain access without even knowing the key.

Quote :

"The data is not the only copy, therefore it's not lost."

Obviously the SSNs aren't 'lost'. The question is who has a copy now. Probably no one that shouldn't--but not necessarily.




Noen, you're the kind of person who says "I'm the smartest person I know" a lot, aren't you?

[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 6:33 PM. Reason : ]

9/4/2007 6:32:37 PM

so my question is this:
when the laptop went missing and duro982 decided to try to inform people that their SSNs may be leaked, what did you expect them to do? they certainly can't go and change their number over the holiday weekend like with a password.
hope you get the laptop back, sucks getting stuff stolen from your house while you're there (i had a brand new digital camera taken a while back). my advice is hire a doorman for your next party and don't let anyone in who's not on the list.

9/4/2007 9:28:31 PM

^^ You still dont fucking get it.

Quote :

"So, Noen the master cryptographer claims that physical security is not an essential component of data security. "

If it's properly encrypted, physical security doesn't matter a damn bit, no pun intended. This is not an original record, it's not a remote accessed record, it's an encrypted copy. So the loss of the data is superfluous to it's security. Physically having hands on it presents no better chance of decrypting it. In fact, you'd be MUCH better off with a system you could get inside while it's being worked on and have a significantly better chance of gleaning information from it. As soon as it leaves the grid, it's as good as a rock.

Quote :

"It doesn't have to be in plain text. Depending on what he used to encrypt the data, you may be able to gain access without even knowing the key."

NC Requires the use of 128bit minimum AES for confidential information. So no, you aren't going to get in without the key. Keep looking stupid though.

Quote :

"Obviously the SSNs aren't 'lost'. The question is who has a copy now. Probably no one that shouldn't--but not necessarily."

Again it doesn't matter. Unless he's left they key in plaintext (specifically against NC policy) or is using a password manager (also against policy) that could be broken more easily, the perp isn't getting in.

Quote :

"Noen, you're the kind of person who says "I'm the smartest person I know" a lot, aren't you? "

No, but I've worked for the NC government. I have a little bit of background into their data standards, particularly for confidential and classified data. NC is among the best state governments in the country for our standards. Now whether or not they are strictly followed is another matter, but the policies in place (which, from everything I've read in this thread, were followed) aren't going to let some dipshit who steals a laptop at a party even get close to gleaning state records.

[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 9:55 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 9:58 PM. Reason : .]

9/4/2007 9:55:22 PM

damn this thread is a lollercaust

9/4/2007 9:58:39 PM

Quote :

"Solinari : i think its funny that Noen believes the only way to compromise computer security is through brute force cracking""

Quote :

"Noen : I think it's funny I never said that. However in THIS case, there are only two ways to get to the data, one of which being brute force. The other is the highly unlikely scenario that the encryption key was stored in plaintext somewhere on the laptop."

i think its funny that Noen thinks brute force attacks are one of "only two ways" to gain access to protected data.

i think its funny that Noen thinks some high/drunk thief isn't interested in the personal info, so therefore it's safe.

i think its funny that Noen seems to be blissfully unaware of the huge black market for stolen laptops that are then cracked by criminals with considerable expertise, and this information is most certainly used in identity theft rings.

i think its funny that an analogy would be that "Hey, Mon! Dont worry! The guy who stole your car doesn't know how to disassemble it and sell the parts... He's not a mechanic!"






[Edited on September 4, 2007 at 10:16 PM. Reason : ]

9/4/2007 10:14:20 PM

bttt

9/14/2007 1:11:08 AM

Quote :

"blissfully unaware of the huge black market for stolen laptops that are then cracked by criminals with considerable expertise"

I think it's funny how disconnected with reality you are. Do you also think JFK was assinated by a russian triple agent paid off by the CIA?

Quote :

"i think its funny that Noen thinks brute force attacks are one of "only two ways" to gain access to protected data."

Knowing how it's encrypted, and the state policies, there are only two ways to blink a 128bit AES volume. Three actually, but there's no possibility of a timing attack because the laptop has been stolen. So yes, two ways.

Quote :

"i think its funny that Noen thinks some high/drunk thief isn't interested in the personal info, so therefore it's safe. "

I dont think, I know this. No REAL criminal is going to waste their time stealing some low level, minimally accessible laptop like this. The information is of no large value and it doesn't afford them any higher hops to bigger pots.

9/14/2007 2:22:00 AM

^ When SSN's sell for a couple bucks a pop, that data is worth more than the laptop on the "black" market.

9/14/2007 4:11:25 AM

Did they ever get the person who stole it?

9/14/2007 6:20:30 AM

I think its funny how everyone on the internet is an asshole unless you know them IRL. Then the totally retarded thing they did was just a small mistake & I'm the asshole for calling them a retard.

9/14/2007 7:28:14 AM

Just because yoru 1337 friend tells you he can hack any laptop and has impressed you that he broke into your myspace account dosnt mean he stands any chance in hell at breaking open an aes volume.

There is a reason aes has been okayed for classified information and goverment information, because its a damned good system.

So quit your bitching, katientcbabe should have never posted that personal information was on it to begin with (because it let the theves know it was there)

but even then the chance that they break it open, barring an extreamly weak password (like password) is 0.

[Edited on September 18, 2007 at 5:06 PM. Reason : dd]

9/18/2007 5:05:22 PM

No worries! Anyway the personal info was removed thank you.

They found out where some unauthorized purchases were made with my debit card. They should be able to find the guy real soon! And they will definitely be searching the house of the neighbor I really think took it.

They took my ss card, too. But I check my credit regularly.

9/20/2007 11:24:55 AM

Did you just leave this stuff out next to a big sign that says "Steal Me"

9/20/2007 11:32:09 AM

living room

9/20/2007 11:48:52 AM

I can't even begin to imagine why your debit card was out in your living room, but your ss card too?!?!?

9/20/2007 11:51:29 AM

This is what happens when you give your SS number to state government.

9/20/2007 11:51:49 AM