GCHQ can crack the encryption if they want to, if it is seriously a mater of national security or something. But it is not. It is a just a matter of policy force having small penises. Don't back down to the pricks!

GCHQ can crack the encryption if they want to
doubtful - if chosen a good length password

However, might as well comply.......

Yes, it may take 5 years to crack your password today.....
But, that same data can probably be cracked in about 2 minutes in 10 years from now......... so you're get done anyway eventually.

As an example........ the German WWII codes were quite hard to crack at the time.
But they could be cracked much faster with a modern desktop computer.

Written in the spirit of trying to help ..

>GCHQ can crack the encryption if they want to
> doubtful - if chosen a good length password

It's not just length - it's quality as well. Don't just use a long password, make sure your long password has a highly mixed combined of upper & lower case characters, numbers, and other symbols + * ^ = :

And it's also the reliability of the encryption method you use.

>Yes, it may take 5 years to crack your password today.....
>But, that same data can probably be cracked in about 2 minutes in 10 years from now......... so you're get done anyway eventually.

You'll only get done if you fall under the statute of limitations - 10 years is way beyond that for most crimes (e.g. the copper that did for Ian Tomlinson couldn't be prosecuted for assault cos the statue had passed in 6 months).

Also, what's the evidence for saying that data will be unencrypted in 2 mins in 10 years time? Encryption (with strong passwords) currently takes a huge (possibly longer than the time that the universe has existed) amount of time to break. What basis are you saying that it will be 2 minutes in 10 years time?

> As an example........ the German WWII codes were quite hard to crack at the time.
> But they could be cracked much faster with a modern desktop computer.

So what? You're comparing apples with pears. WWII codes were not written using current encryption methods.

Apart from the spelling mistakes, mis-information (you get two years with RIPA, not 5) and forgetting to mention that the RIPA Act has only been used to threaten (so far) activists. Always protect everyone's privacy and liberty. Encrypt your whole hard drive with something like TrueCrypt or similar, encypting emails isn't enough...

Luke you are such a shameless self publicist, only you would write an article about yourself describing yourself as "One of the U.K.’s leading animal rights activists", and then post it on Indymedia anonymously!

You say it is believed that police are doing this to find the sources who have been supplying companies with information, but who believes this? If it doesn't say in the section 49 notice, then you have no idea of why they want to look at your computer, you're just speculating.

And it is a maximum 2 years for section 49, it's only 5 years if it's an investigation involving "National Security". Surely you're not claiming this is the case here, and if so, what do you base this on?