The U.S. and Global Security Review - Blog by Michael Novakhov

FBI, Justice Department Using Russian Password-Cracking Software   by Bill Gertz Friday May 6 th , 2016  at  6:42 PM Washington Free Beacon 1 Share The Justice Department and FBI are using password-breaking software produced by a Russian technology firm set up by a cryptographer who attended a school linked to the KGB. The U.S. government’s contracts and use of the Russian-origin password-cracking software produced by the Moscow-based company called Elcomsoft is raising security concerns among some U.S. officials and security experts. The company was founded by Alexander Katalov, who stated in a 2001  online interview  that he once “studied at the highest school of the KGB,” the Soviet-era political police and intelligence service. He also said the FBI “on many occasions” purchased forensic software programs from Elcomsoft. Password-breaking software was used by the FBI to access the locked iPhone of the Islamist terrorist Syed Farook, who car