The stolen Russian intelligence

Military and government professionals know how the importance of keeping classified information within secure environment. The transgression could cost someone his career, or the indelible, unforgettable wound on his consciousness that thousands hours of work and government's priceless  intelligence gathered through painstaking effort has  fallen into the hands of unsuspecting at best, uncleared civilian. The lesson learned by a Russian SIGINT professional is related below in its original, contributed by a radio amateur.

The SIGINT specialist had a keepsake tape made for him of the best moments from Russian radio surveillance of US Strategic Command and other sorties. On the way home, he could not stand the temptation to let an accidental fellow traveller listen to the tape and later on stealing the tape. The story is heartbreaking, to say the least.

Насчет пеленга я не знаю, какими антеннами они работали. На пеленгаторе сидело три срочника (обычно дембеля), так что им этот пеленг был до одного места. Обычно на рядовые самолеты (транспортники REACH, то есть С-130, С-5, С-7), заправщики и тому подобное пеленг был никому не нужен. И в таких случаях мое общение с пеленгаторами выглядело так:
Я сижу на посту, решаю от скуки взять транспортник на ГКСС. Слушаю, что он дает информацию, что примерно прибывает на Гейленкирхен через 2 часа, на борту 10 тонн груза, просит погоду. Даю команду на пеленг: "Работает 9011". Пеленгатор тут же спрашивает: "А что там за самолет то?". Я отвечаю, что транспортник. Он после этого тут же забивает на пеленг совершенно. После прослушивания я спрашиваю:"Ну что, пеленг давай". Меня просят сообщить, что же я там услышал. Я говорю, что он летит в Германию, прибывает через пару часиков. После этого пеленгатор отвечает:"Ну запиши там 230 градусов". Это так происходило чаще всего. Если самолет посерьезней, то они что то старались изобразить, и даже иногда получалось. Но каким образом они это делали и какие антенны использовали я к сожалению не знаю.
Что же касается позывных, то их основные типы были известны, то есть какой самолет под какими позывными летает. А вот предполагаемые частоты и позывной на отдельные случаи обычно почти всегда приходит по ориентировке. Что же касается содержания радиообмена, то не всегда (исключительно на собственном опыте) можно определить тип самолета, так как военные самолеты, выходящие на ИКАО ничего не говорят, а всего лишь дают три точки своих координат и уровень полета и все. И даже на ГКСС не всегда удается понять, что за самолет, так как на моей памяти бомберы, запрашивавшие канал связи со своей авиабазой обычно никакой информации туда не давали, просто говорили расчетное время прибытия и давали Operations normal, то есть, что полет проходит нормально. А подтверждение тому, что это бомбер я обычно получал, когда оператор сам их просил назвать тип самолета и они говорили его. На ИКАО я однажды по ориентировке ждал перегон тактики 07.06.97. С Европы на континент гнали стаю F-15. Называлось все это движение Coronet East 135. Работали они на частоте ИКАО с ЦУП Нью-Йорк на 13306. Постоянно выходили заправщики КС-135 под позывными BLUE 71,72,74,82,84. Давали координаты и высоту полета, ну как обычно, причем эшелон периодически опускался до 210-230 для дозаправки. Шли они по точкам 43n 43w, 44n, 45w, 44n, 50w. Потом у одного из заправщиком состоялся разговор с оператором Нью-Йорка, где пилот сообщил, что они Коронет Ист 135, причем проспеллировал название, и сообщил позывные тактики, то есть истребителей. Выглядело это так:" New York this is Blue 71. We are Coronet East 135. We have Mazda 31, Mazda 32, Mazda 33, Mazda 34, Mazda 35 and Mazda 36". Все это он еще раз проспеллировал и дал очередные координаты. То есть в принципе если бы не ориентировка, то я бы, не зная, что все это значит, даже и значения этому бы не придал. В основном конечно все заранее известно по ориентировкам, но для меня и был главный интерес, когда заранее зная какую то информацию, находишь самое явное ее подтверждение.
Насчет поста, то я не знаю, как же сделать так, чтобы меня все же взяли. У меня ведь из моей части остались подтверждения допуска и тому подобное. Но я думаю, что это покажет разговор с командиром части.
Самое интересное, что самые волнительные моменты, причем записанные при идеальной слышимости (ну это было качество почти как в студии, почти полное отсутствие шумов и ясные, четкие голоса), причем на кассете было все: бомберы, разведчики, АВАКС, причем не просто выходы на связь, а разные интересные моменты, так вот, такую кассету, выстраданную за полгода (ведь не всегда такая идеальная слышимость и разговоры необычные) я вез на память домой. И вот в поезде из Улан-Удэ с нами ехал дембель какой-то танкист, что ли. Мы ему дали на плейере послушать, он был отрясен, хоть и не знал английского, и вероятно попросту ее спи...дил, чтобы в своей родной деревне девкам давать слушать и рассказывать байки, каким он был отважным танкистом-радиоразведчиком. Он у меня еще в поезде спрашивал, нет ли еще такой кассеты, а то бы подарили ему. Я даже и подумать не мог, что она ему так в душу запала. До сих пор вспоминаю, сердце кровью обливается, в прямом смысле. Мы на дембель сравнивали, у кого самые интересные записи и по качеству слышимости. Так вот эта кассета лидировала тогда с огромным отрывом. С каким бы безмерным удовольствием я бы ее сейчас выложил вам, друзья!!!! Качество ее было просто студийным, поверьте на слово! Какая же сволочь этот танкист...

(source) You wish you could relearn Russian again.

More Siteseeing of Russian Secrets

• A well-defined, staggered pattern ABM site housing Gazelle missiles, 55°34'39"N 37°46'15"E
• Federal State Unified Facility, officially an establishment similar to U. S. General Services Administration, comprising of a concrete plant, miscellaneous warehouses and numerous sheds - except it is under the FSB command, 55°33'55"N 37°45'24"E
• GRU's OSNAZ (ЦРПУ) unit 309 is based at the Military Detachment 34608 here 55°22'8"N 37°28'45"E
• Recently declassified village of Berezki, containing a secret communication facility that has since passed on to Rostelecom for an unspecified use, 55°14'53"N 37°31'10"E
• summer cottages for KGB's 15 & 16 Departments, 55°15'1"N 37°25'22"E
• GRU and SVR summer cottages, 55°14'50"N 37°24'45"E
  
• A seemingly abandoned site known only as "UTK" that is reported to be an engineering reconnaissance training center, and guarded by armed roaming patrols, 55°11'27"N 37°39'17"E
• Rostelecom satellite communications support facility, with huge, dome-enclosed satellite dishes 55°45'31"N 38°39'34"E
• Former ammunition depot, the traces of which is visible in the tell-tale pattern, the rectangular off-limits perimeter now serving as a training center for armored corps 55°56'37"N 38°28'47"E
• Military Base, a Military Detachment, detachment number undisclosed 55°48'36"N 37°55'31"E
• FSB Training Center and Military Detachment No. 2056, also home to the Border Guard training center; an off-limits, well-guarded Microbiology Research Facility is located less than 1 km NE of the military base, at 54°58'23"N 37°13'25"E
• Headquarters and Operations Center for the important Early Missile Detection (Warning) Strategic System, including a Don or Dunay phased array, at Kurilovo, 55°4'1"N 37°2'45"E
• Military Detachment No. 64035, (Long Distance Communication Unit), together with the General Staff Communication Center, all inside the formerly classified city of Chekhov-3, 55°8'50"N 37°16'50"E
• Declassified town of Zarya, 55°45'31"N 38°4'56"E, associated with the Strategic Air Defense Headquarters 4.5 km WNW at 55°46'37"N 38°1'15"E
• One of the first and few baseball diamonds in Russia, at 55°47'45"N 38°1'2"E, which unwittingly served as a recce scale reference for metrics on the nearby Severniy-2 (55°47'47"N 38°1'26"E) classified town converted into summer cottages for the Defense Ministry's flag officers, and for the Strategic Air Defense Headquarters, see above, one of the terminal stations of the Moscow's secret subway.
  

Of stegasaurs and steganosources

This seemingly spam-like essay came from Maira Freeman :

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the solution - next week. The hint is Dostoyevsky.

How to do steganography and NORVA Messaging the crypto way

Veering off the topic of SALWISS displays, we are going to examine, and possibly quiz some of you on the CAIRNORVA decryption. Meanwhile, here is a how-to on a neat steganography method that I found on a forum. It is a set of very simple steps:

• Create a public key;
• Export the public key;
• Use Clip Secure, or an equivalent;
• Set Clip Secure to the OFB mode;
• Encrypt a short text mesaage with CS in OFB mode, make sure that the cyphertext is no longer than 64 symbols;
• Copy and paste the cyphertext at the beginning of the public key, then - trim the key so that the whole assembly looks innocent. Make sure the cyphertext is not chopped or altered.

Test:
Load the key text minus the headers into SC and decrypt. Should be fine.
The public key, however, is corrupted beyond recovery. That is OK.
You post it anonymously to the internet, for example, as a new user of a forum which has an naturally designated slot suitable for a PGP key in user profile, or just into any other area where it is unlikely to arouse suspicion, but render it easy to locate intentionally.

Provided the user's true identity and anonymity has been preserved, it is additionally crucial to ensure that this modified key can be traceable. Now the person for whom it was intended may safely copy it without arousing any suspicion by being aprt of a completely benign traffic of the forum.

The bogus key may arouse suspicion (which is highly unlikely) only when and if a third party will attempt to use it.

Back to the CAIRNORVA. The encrypted message:

GLENN STAKE THAT FAME THREE FOUR THREE ON BOOK.

BUSH LAKE GATES THREE SEEING MOLD MAKE.

GROVE NOTHING BOOK SEVEN WARMING THE JACK.

Take note of the definite, non-abstract nouns – these are your hints. Of course, this goes without saying, do not go on the wild goose chase analyzing the BOOK being repeated, if you have no previous experience with CAIRNORVA.

I used the simplest lexicon encryption. Almost the one you can find on Spammimic.I think you’ll have no problem unbuttoning this:

Dear Salaryman , Thank-you for your interest in our

letter ! If you are not interested in our publications

and wish to be removed from our lists, simply do NOT

respond and ignore this mail . This mail is being sent

in compliance with Senate bill 1619 ; Title 6 , Section

307 . This is not multi-level marketing . Why work

for somebody else when you can become rich inside 43

MONTHS . Have you ever noticed people will do almost

anything to avoid mailing their bills and more people

than ever are surfing the web . Well, now is your chance

to capitalize on this . WE will help YOU turn your

business into an E-BUSINESS & use credit cards on your

website ! You can begin at absolutely no cost to you

. But don't believe us ! Mrs Anderson who resides in

Arkansas tried us and says "My only problem now is

where to park all my cars" ! This offer is 100% legal

. If not for you then for your loved ones - act now

. Sign up a friend and you'll get a discount of 40%

. Warmest regards .

This rather wordy encryption unbuttons to data relayed , using rancid as the password.

Again, I would remind you that repeat occurrences of nouns can truly throw you a curve ball. That much I can disclose to you.
The beauty of CAIRNORVA is that you can encrypt short messages without a code book or a PC, or a palmtop. An added-on value is that the method would teach you to think clearly, formulate your message into a simple, crisp sentences, and you might just benefit from this process of a collateral benefit – you might become a Hemingway! Send those unbutton messages by e-mail, y’hear?

Milk, Gold, Rupees and Rubles

This should not be a secret, but it is, to most of the world.

Gold prices fell,

Bid/Ask 661.60 - 662.40

Low/High 659.90 - 677.70

Change -0.70/-0.11%, about $22

even though Russia broke records in Gold vs. Forex Reserves. Russian Central Bank said its gold and foreign exchange reserves reached $413.1 billion as of July 20. The amount is the record one in the histories of both the former USSR and Russia.

Carry traders in Japan and Switzerland have been borrowing money (since this is what carry trade is about) in countries with low interest rates and investing in gold. You can see this in the Japanese yen and Swiss franc. Whatever investments sunk into the trades are adversely affected.

Gold demand dipped today as prices headed up but dealers ported moderate sales taking place late the previous day, when prices dipped to one-week lows. This is almost a mumbo-jumbo according to the cold-hard as gold truth about gold.

Ned Schmidt, the editor of the Value View Gold Report said that it is the “beginning of the demise of paper assets…spilling over into the gold market."

Let these carry traders trade. Instead, watch India, the largest consumer of gold. Watch the weather in India as well. The good monsoon at propitious time will yield good harvest, which will lead to an unusually bustling mid-August wedding season, and that should mean strong gold demand. See, no quiet intergovernmental agencies at work here. Sometimes a secret is not really a secret.

*********

There are more to this than the Mitrokhin archives, though. Milk jugs in Russian’s cellars should hold entire home movies shot by KGB officers ignorant of the future. While much of these stashes are irretrievably lost to the alcohol-induced amnesia and realigned priorities, there is a lot to be learned just from various officials discussing the subjects, and attempts to recover the jugs. That’s when Echelon and SALWISS come in. As a background reading, here is more on Echelon and SALWISS.

Got milk?

Lost Walkie-Talkie Put To Smart Sleep

Recently a soldier's HT got irretrievably lost, to no fault of his own. He did not remember whether he put his set into the default standby mode, either by CHANF or CHANS right before turning it off.

Upon hearing of this episode, where the set was taken for a routine 1 minute communication check by another teammate, the CO clicked CALUS (call user), DISCNOT (color indicator notify) and ANCOCH (announce code change). An unsuspecting finder-keeper will never know what the flashing LED would mean, and through playing with the buttons, which might remind him of a police scanner, would surely deactivate all the HT functions save for the beacon-self-ID frequency beeps. FBI should have an easy time locating this wonder CB radio, and racking up additional favors from the JTF.

Greetings to all our friends at Yahoo Crypto.