Cryptography

From KTN AI Forensic Group

Is AI of any use at accessing encrypted data? Mathematics has proved that mathematics can't beat it if it's been done properly.

The police have two ways around the problem (as I understand it):

1) Kick down the door after the suspect has entered the password and drag him away from the keyboard.

2) Use RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000) to force the suspect to divulge the password or go to gaol for up to two years (as I understand it). Given that the encrypted data is either innocent or incriminating for something presumably carrying a longer gaol term there doesn't seem much point.

How do identify encrypted data anyway? Good encryption looks like random data - as does good compression. Can you tell data is encrypted? And supposing the random data is hidden - it's going to be tricky to find. One scenario that comes to mind is a block on a disk (not part of the file) containing what appears to be random numbers. Is this encrypted data or part of a deleted compressed file? Is this a real problem anyone?

I can't really see a solution to this, using AI or otherwise.

(I can't see a solution to the problem of what happens when the police ask for the password for an encrypted file you don't know the password to either. I know I've got plenty of files kicking around on live disks, and who knows what those that have been recovered and are stored in my "evidence" cupboard.)