msramdmp - Bootable Flash Drive Circumvents Disk Encryption

It seems that no matter what you do or how hard you try, any method of protecting your data can be circumvented if someone is determined enough to get it. Little do most of you know that when you turn off your computer, the contents of your RAM aren't gone immediately (a common misconception). It takes a short period of time for this information to disappear. Not too long ago, it was shown that the contents of your RAM could be frozen with a simple can of compressed air and then read (which could subsequently hold your encryption keys for the encrypted data).

Now it appears there is an even easier method, thanks to McGrew Security. They now have an app, called msramdmp, that you can use on a bootable flash drive to read this information out of RAM without having to freeze or remove the chip from the machine. It's a little slow, but they are working to make it a little bit faster. Why people publically make these kind of exploits is beyond me, as it just makes it all the easier for someone to become a victim of data theft.

Via Engadget