Sleuths Crack Tracking Code Discovered in Color Printers

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#1 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:35 pm

By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 19, 2005; Page D01

It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it isn't. The pages coming out of your color printer may contain hidden information that could be used to track you down if you ever cross the U.S. government.

Link to article in The Washington Post

benplaut · #2 Post by **benplaut** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:37 pm

that was on /. months ago... still freaky

#3 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 9:47 pm

This is true, however, this is used for tracking counterfeit operations. I work in this field and am factory trained on Canon color printers, this is common knowledge. This article describes part of the counter measures the manufacturers have built in to the hardware to help the government track counterfeit bills. While I did not read the entire article I would hope the author would put this in perspective. Some color printers will lock up when scanning bills, this requires removing the scanner board and sending to the factory for a one on one replacement.

#4 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:07 pm

Kyocera wrote:Some color printers will lock up when scanning bills, this requires removing the scanner board and sending to the factory for a one on one replacement.

Wow, I never knew that. I don't have a color laser printer, but if I get one I'll have to remember and not scan any bills (just for curiosity sake to see how real it would look).

#5 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:12 pm

Duplicated by accident

#6 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:13 pm

This is only on high end machines, the ones set up for print shops that can actually have the resolution and software to get a reasonable facsimile of a bill. You can scan and print bills on your home set up. But the newer bills are very hard to match colors.

#7 Post by **jdhurst** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:24 pm

I hate to sound alarmist, but Microsoft collects private, traceable information as well with their Genuine Windows program. If you believe these corporations are doing it for altruistic motives, I really do have a bridge in a swamp for sale. You can be more certain than death, taxes and accountants that this stuff *will* be used to trace you and me if/when the opportunity arises. ... JD Hurst

egibbs · #8 Post by **egibbs** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:09 am

As the original news release from the EFF points out, the coding is there to track counterfieters.

However. the EFF also points out that there are no laws requiring the coding (at least none that we are allowed to know about - we do now have secret laws in the US), and no laws at all restricting how a Government can use the information.

So while the stated intent is salutatory, there is no reason why a Government could not use it for other purposes, such as finding the source of an "unhealthy" news article, or political statement.

I suspect it is a moot point however - I bet that by now there is software circulating that will add thousands of randomized decoy codes to a printout. The best antidote to speech you don't like is more speech.

Ed Gibbs

#9 Post by **Kyocera** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:38 am

Index.dat, it's in every version of windows, but everone here should know about this.

BigWarpGuy · #10 Post by **BigWarpGuy** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:48 pm

Since I do not use Windows on my Thinkpads (2 of them; one T23 and one A22m), is it in other operating systems? I use eComStation on my Thinkpads and on my desktop (Tinker 4000).

egibbs · #11 Post by **egibbs** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:11 pm

It's in the printer - doesn't matter if you print from BeOS, Windoze, Linux, OS/2, DOS, or whatever.

Ed Gibbs

Sleuths Crack Tracking Code Discovered in Color Printers

Sleuths Crack Tracking Code Discovered in Color Printers

In other operating systems?

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