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Paris Olympics security plans stolen from train

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two USB memory sticks holding police security plans for the Paris Olympic Games

"In the event of any kind of security issue, tear gas the entire block".

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The bag belonged to an engineer from Paris City Hall, the police said, confirming a report by BFM television, adding that he had put the bag in the luggage compartment above his seat.

Typical security rules for people that take out sensitive information in portable formats say to never be separated from the bag containing that information. It would be difficult to think that does not apply in this case, which unfortunately became a very clear example of why such rules exist.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Rather surprised that anyone with access to that level of information would casually handle it in the manner that they did. They should have been on possession of the bag the entire time, and one can never be 100% sure, yet he could have been targeted as well.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

This is a pretty big "Oops". Could sell the info for a lot of mullah to terrorist organizations.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Inspector Jacques Clouseau must have been carry them.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Hopefully the USBs are encrypted and the computer requires authentication beyond a simple password that can be easily cracked.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Paris Olympics security plans stolen from train

I'm sure this is all just a part of the plan. Has no one seen the Ocean's 11 movies?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Why don't they just call the Lost and Found office?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

And this is the begginning..

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Encrypted and locked down and if not fire the person responsible.

Encryption does not guarantee the information will not be accessible, it just make it much more difficult to do it. With enough time and a powerful enough incentive it is still possible someone will get the plans.

And seeing how the person carrying the info was not even cautious enough to keep the bag in his hands all the time it is even likely the information was not encrypted in the first place.

Why don't they just call the Lost and Found office?

Because that would not solve the problem, even if the media is found, that someone took it means it is safer to assume all the information has been copied already.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Encryption does not guarantee the information will not be accessible, it just make it much more difficult to do it. With enough time and a powerful enough incentive it is still possible someone will get the plans.

That's somewhat true, but not really applicable to the current hypothetical situation. Eventually almost all current encryption will be eventually crackable. However, realistically the stronger algorithms in place today are, on a practical level, not yet crackable.

The current RSA factorization record is for a 768-bit integer, announced in December 2009. It took four years and involved the smartest number theorists currently living on Earth, including Lenstra and Montgomery, who have somewhat god-like status in those circles. I recently learned that the selection of the parameters for a 1024-bit number factorization has begun (that's the "brainy" part); the sieving is technically feasible (it will be expensive and involve years of computation time on many university clusters) but, for the moment, nobody knows how to do the linear reduction part for a 1024-bit integer. So do not expect a 1024-bit break any time soon.

https://security.stackexchange.com/a/4528

Eventually, when quantum computing becomes a thing, almost all current encyrption algorithms will be crackable. Interestingly, starting with the next Apple iOS release, messages will be encrypted with an encryption that is meant to not even be crackable by quantum computers, making Apple forward thinking in their protection of user information.

https://www.wired.com/story/apple-pq3-post-quantum-encryption/

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Inspector Jacques Clouseau must have been carry them

Along with a special delivery of a "beumb"

0 ( +1 / -1 )

However, realistically the stronger algorithms in place today are, on a practical level, not yet crackable.

Usually people that encrypt properly the information also have proper security protocols and training that would make this incident happening very difficult to believe. Poor training would make it natural to expect also weak encryption.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Poor training would make it natural to expect also weak encryption.

Or a mistake by someone well trained. Either is plausible, and without more information, we cannot know.

It's really not that hard to encrypt USB sticks these days though, and many company computers will have software installed that does not allow data to be written to an unencrypted drive. It requires no technical skill upon the user, rather is imposed upon them by the system. They plug in a flash drive, and it says 'this drive must be encrypted to write to it. Would you like to encrypt this drive?' and if they say no, it's readonly.

I know this, because we do it.

Now whether the French Police do this... I have no idea whether they do or not. My knowledge of things French is very limited.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

And who would need a decent security plan ? Israel's Mossad.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

And who would need a decent security plan ? Israel's Mossad.

Or any of an infinite amount of other possibilities...

3 ( +5 / -2 )

It was Putin...for sure...more sanctions now!

And later too.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Off to a great start

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Whaaaaat?

This cannot be true, but if it in France were (form some commentators here) the people and procedures there are near to perfection.

Like, high security plans in a bag, which the porter put in to the overhead compartment, instead of haveing them "sticked" to the porter himself?

As someone already said... this must be a trap set in the style of Ocean's 11 or Lupin...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ringing endorsement ensuring the safety of Olympic visitors lol

Paris is very well known for pickpockets and thieves who target tourists, unfortunately

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Time for Plan B.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

All portable devices need encrypted storage and for the device to be locked, if not fully turned off, whenever moving between buildings. Use 2FA to unlock the storage.

Standard practice here and has been nearly 20 yrs.

Why was the laptop provided without encryption? Makes no sense in the world today.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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