WikiLeaks Posts Encrypted Data as 'Insurance' Against Govt Threat

[Keith Millea]

Published on Monday, August 19, 2013 by Common Dreams

WikiLeaks Posts Encrypted Data as 'Insurance' Against Govt Threat

Urging followers to download and mirror 400 gb file, WikiLeaks spreads potentially top secret data trove

- Lauren McCauley, staff writer

(Image: Wikileaks.org)

In what they describe as an "Insurance Release," Wikileaks posted links for a series of encrypted files to their Twitter feed and Facebook page Friday, urging readers to download and mirror the links, in a digital threat they hope will "nullify attempts at restraint."

Though not uncommon, many are speculating that the size of the filesone at an impressive 349 gigabytesin conjunction with the timing of their releaseraises the possibility that these files contain "some serious material."

WikiLeaks releases encrypted versions of upcoming publication data ("insurance") from time to time to nullify attempts at prior restraint.
WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 17, 2013

Please mirror: WikiLeaks insurance 20130815-A: 3.6Gb http://t.co/WAXtszZl8E B: 49Gb http://t.co/Ca1Hqi1VCJ C: 349GB http://t.co/iu00DmfQ0A
WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 16, 2013

The secure files can only be accessed with a 'key,' which WikiLeaks will presumably provide to the general public if and when deemed necessary.

Many note that the links were posted just ahead of the sentencing of Bradley Manning while NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden continues his attempt to evade U.S. prosecution in Russia.

Internet speculation, according to Aja Romano of the online journal The Daily Dot, has decided that "'insurance' may be code for 'back off' to the U.S. government."

"The size of one of the files is 349 gigabytes," Romano notes, "which means that there's either A) enough textual data inside to power a nationwide security crisis for the next 300 years or so, or B) a few very incriminating pieces of video footage."

"I'm getting the feeling these people are spreading some serious material," addedFacebook onlooker Angel Gabriell.

Further, Business Insider reports:

We can garner at least one thing of note from the file names alone: They probably have a very high level of encryption. The end of the files, "aes256," likely stands for Advanced Encryption Standard-256 bits.

It's a way of locking up your files that even the NSA has approved for use on top-secret data.

[Peter Lemkin]

They seem to offer three 'flavors' [sizes].....which I assume are all different selections from this new [not older insurance files]...as many people don't have room for such a huge download. One has to wonder what's in it and the NSA must be recording who's downloading it. I did....given the current state of the state, one could be arrested [or otherwise get in trouble] for having something like that on one's computer, without knowing what it was or having the key to decrypt it. I think the only safety is in numbers now.....:ballchain:

[Magda Hassan]

Yes, it is a big one that one. I've had to put it on another hard drive as mine is not big enough to download it. If we go down we all go down together....