FC: Decrypting password-protected Microsoft Word .gov documents?

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Sat Dec 14 2002 - 09:55:15 PST

  • Next message: Declan McCullagh: "FC: A prophetic post from 1987: Poindexter's database addiction"

    The original site with the documents in question:
    http://www.tsa.gov/public/theme_home6.jsp
    
    For ease of downloading, I've placed them in a .tar.gz file here:
    http://www.politechbot.com/docs/tsa.security.docs.121402.tar.gz
    
    -Declan
    
    ----- Forwarded message from "Major Variola (ret)" -----
    
    From: "Major Variola (ret)" 
    Subject: [Gilmore, TSA, DoJ] Law Enforcement Agreement with Passenger
      Airports  (Password Protected Word Docs)
    Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 14:09:43 -0800
    X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (WinNT; U)
    
    MSWord password protection is undoubtably lame.  Anyone care to run
    a cracker on these TSA LEO files?
    
    http://129.33.119.130/public/theme_home6.jsp
    
    
    
    General Information
    
                        This section features information pertaining to
    security and law
                        enforcement operations that is suitable for public
    distribution.
    
                        Law Enforcement Agreement with Passenger Airports
    
                             Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Open This
    First!
                             (Password Protected Word 59KB)
                             New Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for
    Reimbursement
                             (Password Protected Word 504KB)
                             Instructions For Filling Out the MOA (Word
    42KB) (Password
                             Protected Word 42KB)
                             Liability Information Sheet (Password
    Protected)
                             Instructions for Billing TSA Under Local Law
    Enforcement
                             MOAs/OTAs (Word 31KB)
                             Security Technology Deployment Office (STDO)
                             FSD Contact List (Excel 78KB)
    
    (docs are at URL
    http://129.33.119.130/public/interweb/assetlibrary/LEO_FAQ.doc etc.)
    
    The files seem to be Word 9.0 and contain the following plaintext
    (probably author): Todd Watanabe
    
    Amusingly, the Liability doc is *not* encrypted, and contains the
    largely boring:
    
    Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
    
    Agency Position on the Issue of Liability in Context of the Memoranda of
    Agreement to reimburse for Local Law Enforcement presence:
    
    Except as provided below, TSA and Local law enforcement agencies will be
    responsible for the negligent or wrongful acts or omissions of their
    respective employees.  Legal representation by the United States is
    determined by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) on a
    case-by-case basis.  TSA cannot guarantee that the United States will
    provide legal representation to any Federal, State, or local law
    enforcement officer.
    
    Under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. '' 1346(b),
    2671-2680, the exclusive remedy for the negligent or wrongful act or
    omission of an employee of the United States, acting within the scope of
    his or her employment, is an action against the United States.  A State
    or local officer who has been deputized as a United States Marshal, or
    is acting under the direct supervision or control of a Federal officer,
    may be considered an employee of the United States if USDOJ certifies
    that the individual defendant was acting within the scope of his or her
    employment at the time of the incident giving rise to the suit.  The
    United States can then be substituted for the employee as the sole
    defendant with respect to any tort claims, and the individual employee
    is thereby protected from suits in his official capacity.
    
    Deputization by the U.S. Marshal Service cannot be accomplished
    unilaterally by a local law enforcement authority.  State or local
    agencies that wish to have their officers deputized for purposes of
    working with TSA must apply through TSA.  For more information, please
    contact Joseph J. DePalma, at (202)-493-1289.  NOTE:  This number should
    not be used if you are interested in employment as a LEO.
    
    Please note that the question of whether a state or local officer has
    acted within the scope of federal employment is a factual issue that
    must be determined on a case-by-case basis.
    If USDOJ declines to certify that the individual defendant was acting
    within the scope of federal employment, the officer may petition to the
    court to find that he or she was so acting.  28 U.S.C. ' 2679(d)(3).
    Otherwise, it is expected that the individuals employing State or local
    agency will, in its discretion, assert such defenses as may be available
    under applicable State law.  If an officer or agent undertakes any
    negligent or willful acts outside the terms of the agreement between the
    TSA and the local agency, liability for those acts will be the sole
    responsibility of the agent or officer and agency involved.
    
    A Federal officer or employee who engages in violations of Federal
    constitutional law may be personally liable under Bivens v. Six Unknown
    Named Agents of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971).  A
    State or local officer or agent who engages in such violations may be
    individually liable under 42 U.S.C. ' 1983.  Agents or officers may
    request representation by USDOJ for civil suits against them in their
    individual capacities for actions taken within the scope of employment
    and under the terms of an agreement with TSA.  The determination whether
    to grant representation will be made by USDOJ in accordance with 28
    C.F.R. ' 50.15.  All requests for representation by USDOJ must be
    coordinated through TSAs Office of Chief Counsel.
    
    For more information, please contact Christian Jordan or Gregg Golden in
    the TSA Chief Counsels office at:  (202) 493-1217.
    
    ----- End forwarded message -----
    
    
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
    You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
    To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
    This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
    Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/
    Recent CNET News.com articles: http://news.search.com/search?q\clan
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Dec 14 2002 - 10:08:18 PST