Another Reason to Switch to Linux (as if you needed it)

Microsoft in their infinite wisdom supplied free USB sticks to Law Enforcement agencies for use in forensics worldwide. Nothing wrong with that you might say till you read (via the Seattle Times):

The COFEE, which stands for Computer Online Forensic Evidence
Extractor, is a USB “thumb drive” that was quietly
distributed to a handful of law-enforcement agencies last June.
Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith described its use to the 350
law-enforcement experts attending a company conference Monday.The device contains 150 commands that can dramatically cut the time
it takes to gather digital evidence, which is becoming more important
in real-world crime, as well as cybercrime. It can decrypt passwords
and analyze a computer’s Internet activity, as well as data
stored in the computer.It also eliminates the need to seize a computer itself, which
typically involves disconnecting from a network, turning off the power
and potentially losing data. Instead, the investigator can scan for
evidence on site.More than 2,000 officers in 15 countries, including Poland, the
Philippines, Germany, New Zealand and the United States, are using the
device, which Microsoft provides free.

As All Billings (of Mozilla fame) points out:

“I find it extremely creepy that an operating system manufacturer (with a monopoly or near-monopoly, effectively, as an operating system)is in bed with cops and developing tools internally for them. It isn’t like these could be abused by someone, right?“

This happened in the United States, Poland, Germany and other countries. Microsoft silently gave the cops the means to instantly (beyond all reasonable doubt I have to wonder) invade your system, sweep it and then extract it.

And we all know what will happen when encrypted files are found. Instant assumption of guilt by reason of stupidity. You can see it now in the media. Person arrested for encrypted files followed by swift U-turn by Johnny Law when they receive all the bad press through it and find out they’ve been a complete and total horses ass about the piss-poor handling of it.

Still it’ll be fun to watch when they try plugging it into a Linux system.

Microsoft Hands Cops Forensic Tools : In Pursuit of Mysteries