JBELL
09-01-2002, 06:06 PM
By now most all of us have heard of ‘Carnivore’ and its use by the FBI. But how many know the new threat worse than the ‘vore?
Its been more than six months since the news broke (http://www.msnbc.com/news/660096.asp?cp1=1) about the FBI's new high tech spying device named "Magic Lantern." The government, understandably, wants to keep the Magic Lantern technology under wraps.
With many encryption programs available on the Internet, the FBI has been frustrated in efforts to break open encrypted messages, and officials are increasingly concerned about their ability to read encrypted messages in criminal or terrorist investigations.
Magic Lantern also resolves another important problem with the FBI's existing computer monitoring technology -- the "key logger system." In the past, investigators had to break into a target's residence armed with a warrant and physically attach a device to a computer. Magic Lantern, however, can be installed over the Internet by tricking a person into opening an email attachment. It is unclear whether Magic Lantern would transmit keystrokes it records back to the FBI over the Internet or store the information to be seized later in a raid.
Once up and running, it can reportably records all keystrokes, peer into file, and even translate encrypted words into readable text.
How it works
Based on media reports, Magic Lantern is essentially a trojan program. This is a software application that sits on a computer and runs without the user knowing that it's there. Trojan programs usually come disguised as an email attachment or an innocuous software download. For example, one popular trojan came hidden in a downloadable game called "Whack a Mole."
Trojans thought to be similar to Magic Lantern include Netbus and Back Orifice. (http://www.cultdeadcow.com/) These trojans allow other people to control your computer via the Internet. When you run a program that contains the trojan, it will copy itself to the Windows or WindowsSystem directory and add itself to the system's Registry.
Once the program is completely installed onto a computer, it tries to hide itself on the task list. It doesn't show any icon or indication that it is running. The person who is controlling your computer uses a program that lets them record keystrokes, copy files, or basically do whatever they want.
Its been more than six months since the news broke (http://www.msnbc.com/news/660096.asp?cp1=1) about the FBI's new high tech spying device named "Magic Lantern." The government, understandably, wants to keep the Magic Lantern technology under wraps.
With many encryption programs available on the Internet, the FBI has been frustrated in efforts to break open encrypted messages, and officials are increasingly concerned about their ability to read encrypted messages in criminal or terrorist investigations.
Magic Lantern also resolves another important problem with the FBI's existing computer monitoring technology -- the "key logger system." In the past, investigators had to break into a target's residence armed with a warrant and physically attach a device to a computer. Magic Lantern, however, can be installed over the Internet by tricking a person into opening an email attachment. It is unclear whether Magic Lantern would transmit keystrokes it records back to the FBI over the Internet or store the information to be seized later in a raid.
Once up and running, it can reportably records all keystrokes, peer into file, and even translate encrypted words into readable text.
How it works
Based on media reports, Magic Lantern is essentially a trojan program. This is a software application that sits on a computer and runs without the user knowing that it's there. Trojan programs usually come disguised as an email attachment or an innocuous software download. For example, one popular trojan came hidden in a downloadable game called "Whack a Mole."
Trojans thought to be similar to Magic Lantern include Netbus and Back Orifice. (http://www.cultdeadcow.com/) These trojans allow other people to control your computer via the Internet. When you run a program that contains the trojan, it will copy itself to the Windows or WindowsSystem directory and add itself to the system's Registry.
Once the program is completely installed onto a computer, it tries to hide itself on the task list. It doesn't show any icon or indication that it is running. The person who is controlling your computer uses a program that lets them record keystrokes, copy files, or basically do whatever they want.