[Spooks] Spooks Digest, Vol 78, Issue 26

[The Doctor]

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Andy wrote:

> The only problem is that, the moment the handlers learned of the arrests,
> they would change the one-time pads, making the old ones useless.

That brings another problem: distributing the new 'pads to field
operatives.  That means additional risk, at the very least of connecting
handlers to operatives.

> It would be interesting to note if there was more traffic on the Russian
> numbers stations in the days following the arrests, notifying other agents
> not caught in the net of the changes......

That could potentially leak more information to a traffic analysis
attack (stimulus-response).  One might think that they would avoid
tipping their hand in such a way.

The compromise of field operatives seems like it would be a contingency
covered during planning, with a specialized message already worked out
and ready to go ("PRIMARY TEAM CAPTURED GO TO GROUND STOP", or "If you
ever see this sequence of numbers don't decode it, it means that we've
lost field agents.  Sit tight until you see this sequence of numbers and
then start decrypting messages again starting with the next one.")

- --

The Doctor [412/724/301/703]

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I receive spam, therefore, I am.

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