[Vision2020] Computer Seized in Idaho Had 9-11 Targets

[Shawn Clabough]

Good description Bob, but for those of you that are asking yourselves
"shouldn't the files have expired from the cache by now?", I offer this
scenario.  Being in the computer industry myself, I often install multiple
browsers on my machine (e.g. Internet Explorer, multiple versions of
Netscape, Mozilla, and Opera).  Suppose the last time I was using one of
these versions was more than a year ago.  Those cached files would still be
stored on my hard drive, since each browser has it's own cache area.  Since
Sami had an 80GB hard drive and was doing computer security research, I
believe it would be highly likely he was using multiple browsers for his
research/testing.  I also found a lack of credibility on the agent when he
stated that hard drives have "3 to 4 gigabytes standard".  Look at any
modern computer and tell me what size hard drive it has.  How many people in
the computer industry do you think would still have a 4GB hard drive today?

Shawn
"reserving judgement without all the facts"

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Hoffmann [mailto:escape@alt-escape.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 10:33 PM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Computer Seized in Idaho Had 9-11 Targets


At 09:09 AM 3/12/2003 -0800, Bill London wrote:
>B-
>I am such a non-tech kinda guy...
>I wonder how a computer could save all the images from all the websites 
>it visits.  Is that what Sami's computer did?  Or did Sami have to 
>purposefully save those images? And save--does that mean in some kind 
>of filing system that is retrievable or in just a chronological jumble 
>as the websites were visited? please explain--and perhaps post 
>explanation to V2020 if you want thanks BL

OK, for those of you who aren't aware of how a browser works:

Suppose you were to go to a Web site such as http://www.moscowfood.coop/
today. This page is currently composed of ten files: one HTML file (the
"page" 
itself) and nine graphics files (including the roll-over image at the 
bottom).  Ten files for your browser to download.

Now suppose you went back to that page tomorrow.  It would be most 
inefficient for your browser to need to download pages that it had already 
downloaded.  That's why browsers save files that they have downloaded in 
their "caches."  Instead of repeatedly downloading the same files over a 
relatively slow Internet connection, it more speedily retrieves those files 
from the hard drive.

<snip>

Bob Hoffmann
820 S. Logan St.
Moscow, ID  83843