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Microsoft helps police bypass security in Windows
Supposedly prompted by the growing use of encryption software by cyber criminals, Microsoft has developed a new tool to help law enforcement bypass any type of security built into the Windows operating system. Dubbed Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE), the tool is a USB mass-storage device intended for use in police raids to do quick on site scans of suspects’ computers for insidious files, conversations and emails.
The device was apparently rolled out to a handful of police forces in June last year and is being used by over 2,000 officers in 15 countries. According to the Seattle Times, it has over 150 commands, including the ability to check surfing history, decrypt some passwords, log hard drive activity and map hard drives – all without shutting down the computer and risk losing evidence. Though I’m all for putting an end to stuff like child pornography and scams on the internet, one can’t help but worry that this technology would be a little problematical in the wrong hands.
The device was apparently rolled out to a handful of police forces in June last year and is being used by over 2,000 officers in 15 countries. According to the Seattle Times, it has over 150 commands, including the ability to check surfing history, decrypt some passwords, log hard drive activity and map hard drives – all without shutting down the computer and risk losing evidence. Though I’m all for putting an end to stuff like child pornography and scams on the internet, one can’t help but worry that this technology would be a little problematical in the wrong hands.
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User Comments (5)
Post a comment| canadian on April 30, 2008 10:44 AM | I want one...
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| windmill007 on April 30, 2008 11:18 AM | Cool I just found this software out on a torrent. Now I will be unstoppable..Mwwwahhh
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| ordinaryguy on April 30, 2008 11:32 AM | But it's a Microsoft product, so we know it's un-hackable and will never fall into the wrong hands......right?
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| JudaZ on May 2, 2008 11:11 AM | Microsoft, Security??? What security? You dont need no special tool from Microsoft to bypass the so called secure "features" of XP, Vista or any other MS release. So who really use their low encryption or belive a windows password is woth anything? Thats why u use a third party encryption tool, never MS own.. what a joke
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| tnblues on May 3, 2008 9:35 PM | The next step will be trying to get around the 3rd party security measures. Big brother has always wanted to spy on the citizenry. Remember what they did to Phil Zimmermann?
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