

How to Destroy a Laptop with Top Secrets [video] - erbdex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFsC1puqhA4

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tajen
The speakers go in depth about the methods of destructions of the Five Eyes.
Once source is a Guardian laptop which contained classified material, for
which the GCHQ agents insisted to witness/enforce the destruction. Trackpad
chip, battery controller, CPU, the agents had a laundry list of components to
destroy and tick off.

The most interesting slide to me is that a top secret document remains secret
if shredded pieces are larger than 12mm, and decrease is classification until
they're declassified at 3mm.

Fun part is one sysadmin who had to destroy brand new iPhones of government
officials because they plugged it on a classified network for less than a
minute. It matches my lightening talk on civil intelligence: When there's a
wire, they're compromised. On the other hands, are we really governed by
officials who plug their iPhones on secret networks?

The take away for me is: Even GCHQ gave up the hope of securing computers. If
you're a big target, everything is infected. But they still believe in
airgaps.

~~~
LeonM
> On the other hands, are we really governed by officials who plug their
> iPhones on secret networks?

The "secret network" is probably just their desktop PC which happens to have a
couple of USB ports in the front. Which would allow for easy charging of your
iPhone while working.

99% of people don't understand that it can be a bad thing to connect your
phone to just any USB outlet to charge it.

The fear of running out of battery juice is enough for people to break those
"stupid protocols" where they were told not to attach a cellular device to
anything.

