unforum

[sledgecallier]

[UPDATE] New Sentinel Article 1st June 2005

[arieh]

The most important bit here is probably:

[Leeravitz]

Aha, this is a bit more like it (ostensibly!). The 'gang of four' hypothesis is, indeed, intriguing, although it leads me to ask: what's so special about a four - person involvement? Especially as only two are required to have hardward/software skills? Did they need a lookout? A distraction for security?

I'd also like to confirm that I've got this correct: The Cube was stolen in January 267? This means that the analysis of the security systems was presumably part of the investigative operation during the months *after* the theft. It *wasn't* the case (if I've got the dates right) that an independent analysis was carried out prior to the theft which demonstrated the weakness of Museum security. This may be important.

It seems significant to be reminded that Sente is an expert cryptologist in his own right; this was, of course, his line of business before he joined the Academy, and was still working for Key Surety - testing and implementing encrypted security systems. And it reminds us of the possibility of an 'inside job' angle.

As to heat sensors being 'antiquated', what do the techno buffs amongst us make of that? And what is a 'k - lock' excatly? Sounds simply like the electronic equivalent of a key - tumbler mechanism, which is understandable enough. But given the preponderance of 'key' usage in the City, is this suggestive of the idea that certain information must be deliberately restricted in order that the rank - and - file can't automatically access it??

[invfish]

Hmm.
So if the cube was indeed stolen by more than one person, that makes finding the cube all the harder. Instead of just one direction a team could split up and we now have a number of different directions to seek out the cube, and this is after we found out who did it.
Mayhap's it was the entire Kiteway clan? =P

[misteraitch]

Maybe the other two were required to perform some rudimentary function at Gatehouse 12 and Gatehouse 24 hence their lack of skills? Two keys to be activated in unison perhaps?

I do hope I don't have to get my coat again!

[Leeravitz]

I know this may sound a little simplistic, but I have to wonder what sort of skills the hardware and software experts would have possessed, and what kinds of tasks they would have been undertaking??

There could be many possibilities, I suppose - we might be looking at literal security overrides through virus distribution, or cryptographic hacking (although would that not take a long time from scratch on site?), altering of protocols, I'm not really certain. I find it easier to see why you'd need a software expert than an expert in hardware - unless this refers less to computer applications than to additional pieces of security tech (the heat sensors etc. I suppose), which may have needed to have been shut down/bypassed in a more 'manual' way. Alternatively, perhaps a hardware expert is more familiar with peculiar operating systems, but then, maybe that's the software expert's job.

Frankly, we're still fairly in the dark as to exactly *how* the security was taken down in the first place - and I, for one, would love to know the details of that, let alone who orchestrated the theft and where the Cube went afterwards!!

[Mosestrotsky]

According to Sente's letter is the date 16th January - also if we are assuming Holyoke is one of the potential 'four' - is he hardware, software or 'lookout'?

[Leeravitz]

If Holyoke *was* there (and the jury's still out on that one), I'd peg him as the hardware guy - we already know he was capable of technological jury - rigging. Or, at least, that's what seems to be implied by the little we know about him.

I wonder if Tanner has kept investigation records, and whether we'll ever get the chance to access them??!

[bearq]

misteraitch wrote:

[sledgecallier]

My read on this is that Holyoke was just a fence used to get rid of stolen equipment after the fact. I doubt he'd be directly involved in the theft? (Also, wouldn't the fact that he would have been missed from his bar at the time of the theft of the cube also raise some eyebrows as well?)

[misteraitch]

[quote="Leeravitz"]This means that the analysis of the security systems was presumably part of the investigative operation during the months *after* the theft. It *wasn't* the case (if I've got the dates right) that an independent analysis was carried out prior to the theft which demonstrated the weakness of Museum security. This may be important.[/quote]

The article doesn't acutally state when the report was carried out... only that it was leaked to the Sentinel in August of 267.

The report could have in fact been carried out a few years prior!

[quote="Tanner"]Any system that has been created by people can be broken by people. That's just a fact of security[/quote]

So ultimately, they would know the systems weaknesses from the
moment of it's inception.

[daveg01]

[RobPal]

I think it would be extremely helpful if we could somehow obtain a copy of this leaked security report. But how would we do that?

Any ideas?

[sledgecallier]

It was leaked to the Sentinel, but as they will not supply back issues to this realm then I cannot see how that could help? Unless we had a contact within the Sentinel itself? (Scarlett perhaps, but then this could be seen as asking her to go against her Father?)

[Daffy889]

Sidetracking for a moment so I can update my timeline with the extra information, do you think it's safe to assume that Sente's Cryptological formulations for key security functions is the "seminal work on cryptological mathematics which, expanded in size and scope, is now the standard text for graduate researchers" previously mentioned here?