A warning to all who download the Wikileaks insurance file..

Originally posted by adravesFurthermore, an AES 256 compressed file that you don't know the password for is useless (it is military grade encryption....don't expect to crack it in your lifetime).

Although AES is still a very secure encryption please expect it to be broken in your lifetime. I've already heard several times in the past sentences like 'don't worry, this is safe as it can't be broken' and a few month/years later it's a default option to decrypt files using these encryptions.

At the moment AES apears to be pretty safe but that doesn't mean that it'n not easy to break the code tomorrow or maybe already now in a secret lab. Just have a look at this to see that breaking AES just got a bit easier:
AES Cryptanalysis

You never know if any enryption has a backdoor hidden or a strange mathematical weakness just waiting to be discovered. For example those (safe forever) md5 checksums are laughable today with the correct hard/software.

reply to post by UnixFE


That is besides the point. If you actually understand what AES is, why it matters, and its flaws-then you obviously realize that an AES zip is not going to pose an infection risk. If it does have harmful programs in it, then you should also be able to catch them if you are a "power user".

Just saying. Download away.

Edit~You sound knowledgeable. Do you agree that and AES 256 zip is not going to infect your computer magically? The biggest risk you take is actually downloading it. Scary people could be tracking it...

reply to post by WillNiendick


If the government wanted to spy on peoples computers all they have to do is monitor your ip traffic or supena your provider if they wanted to go by the books.

Hell I remember a news report a while back about a device they can use to see what your screen is showing by monitoring the emf coming off it from a 100 ft away through solid walls.

there are far easier ways to do it than to create a whole charade involving an ins file.

ETA. Not even the largest software giants can make software that runs compatible across all platforms, and all hardware configuration. IF this was any kind of infiltration attempt (its not) it would be a sorta throw crap on the wall and see what sticks.

Originally posted by AzureSky
Nothing happened with the last insurance file.
Also, we know why wikileaks is here, to bring us the truth that the governments will not give us on their own free will.
If it was the government at work, why do they have their panties in a bunch about what wikileaks releases.

Precisely to make people like you think what you think.

You need to do much more research if you seek the truth.

Originally posted by adraves
Do you agree that and AES 256 zip is not going to infect your computer magically? The biggest risk you take is actually downloading it. ]

Any zip file is safe to load if as long as you don't exctract the content. So if it's encrypted ( meaning you can't extract the content due to a missing password) there is zero risk as long as you just store the file. Even if the content is full with trojans and viruses they can't do anything to your computer as long as they are inside this file. So downloading and storing this file is safe.

If you have the file loaded you can stay safe if you do the following: Copy it to an empty USB stick and download/burn on of those Linux Live CDs from the net. Disconnect your harddisk, unplug the network cable and boot your PC with this LiveCD. You should attach an empty disk to the PC capable of storing the extracted 60gb or so. Plug in the stick and decode/watch the files inside. Even if the content is bad there is nothing it can do as there is no harddisk or network available. Just make sure that you erase the attached disk prior attaching it to you normal machine again if you fear any trojans in those files.