[LINK] Fwd: Being a Spy Technology Creator

[Daniel Rose]

steve jenkin wrote:
> 
> The line "If I told you, I'd have to kill you" isn't ironic in some
> circles :=[

Of course, but those circles don't include anonymous blog posts on zdnet, IMO.

> 
> As for large groups keeping secrets, it is not surprising.
> There is a well-known and trivial example - the Cocoa-Cola recipe.
> While not known explicitly to a large group, it's been held for a very
> long time and against very strong probing.

The fact that it exists is not a secret; this is saying that the very existence of the software is the secret!

> 
> My Dad was part of the WWII operation "Central Bureau" - doing what's
> now called "SigInt" (DSD is the descendant agency). I don't know how
> many thousands of people were involved - Australian, American servicemen
> and civies - but they *all* kept the secret for many decades.

Mine was in UK Military Intelligence in Cyprus in the 50s.

> 
> It was 1974 (30 yrs before "ULTRA" and the work at Bletchley Park
> breaking Enigma codes was published.  I'd be very surprised if all
> secrets will ever be public.

Sadly, I agree.
 
> It wasn't until 1988 and the "Spy Catcher" case in Britian that we found
> out what he did. [Around 45 years]
> It took until 1995 before Jack Bleakley released a vetted history in
> "The Eavesdroppers".
> The Military had actively monitored & suppressed unit reunions (and
> probably more).
> I was told stories of guys cracking up in the field from the pressure
> (just doing radio intercepts) and of exceptionally harsh punishment for
> very minor 'breaches' (taking a pot-shot at a leaf).
> 
> I'm sure I wasn't told the worst of it.  Revealing any information, even
> accidentally, of this super-secret operation was met quickly and
> harshly.  Anything deliberate would've been considered treason with the
> usual military consequences.

Therin lies the key; you are referring to a military operation, with military people.  This guy's 10,000 programmers are civilians, as is he.

> 
> My assessment is that it's plausible but a spoof.  Someone like this
> just wouldn't make such a post.
> 
> Like Marcus Ranums' observation about visiting the Windows Kernel team:
>      "there's the Mosad agent, the Chinese, the Russian, MI5, ...".
> 
> Unprovable and unlikely, but entirely plausible.

Overall, why risk execution and still not reveal anything useful? Show us the code, man!


-- 
Daniel Rose
National Library of Australia