
Russia’s Plan to Crack Tor Crumbles - T-A
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-22/russia-s-plan-to-crack-tor-crumbles
======
secfirstmd
Massive Tor fan here but trying to think about this subject from a bad guy
point of view...

Sometimes I think Russia is probably less likely to have the capability to
have long term success at a technical method of attacking/blocking a tool such
as Tor, then it would have at an attack on the people who maintain it.
Ultimately most of it is still maintained by a relatively small group of
[awesome!] people. From my experience of training NGOs/journalists etc there
is a global increase in such clever methods of disruption being used by bad
adversaries.

A sophisticated "gloves off" human intelligence operation to disrupt, deny and
delegitimise the small group responsible for it would probably be a more cost
effective and successful operation - and would probably play into Russia's
strengths. I realise that some in UK and elsewhere have done this to some
extent but I think Russia would probably capable of taking these efforts much,
much further.

~~~
themattbook
Noob here.

Upon reading the original bounty, which stated the purpose was "to study the
possibility of obtaining technical information on users and users' equipment
of Tor anonymous network..." Could it be possible that Russia's intentions
with Tor are purely ethical? Perhaps verifying it's integrity or seeing with
their own eyes the benefits before investing?

~~~
secfirstmd
Really really doubt it. I would lean much more towards the Russian government
wanting to be able to demask Tor users.

~~~
themattbook
You're probably right. After thinking about it, why would Russia even bother
unless it was to obtain something they didn't already have.

So the next question is, why abandon the efforts?

~~~
schoen
One thing to keep in mind when reading about government efforts to attack
security software is that one part of the government may not have access to,
or even know about, the capabilities of another part of the government. Or
even capabilities of people within the same agency!

~~~
secfirstmd
One hand not talking to the other = Every government ever... :)

~~~
themattbook
Duly noted! It all makes sense now. :)

