Comments on: Digital Fortress: what Dan Brown got wrong

By: Janey

Janey — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:38:07 +0000

Umm if you read the book properly it said that TRANSLT had a virus thats why it took so long.
Tankado put a virus into transltr on purpose! it was never a key in the first place!

By: Stea

Stea — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:53:00 +0000

I’d like to point out that the enigma machine used by nazi in WWII is not a twelve tons beast as Dan wrote, but a device that looks like a regular typewriter.

By: schimmi

schimmi — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:29:56 +0000

“After we make the switch,” Strathmore added, “I don’t care how many pass-keys are floating around; the more the merrier.” He motioned for her to continue searching. “But until then, we’re playing beat-the-clock.”

So Strathmore’s intention is to replace the file with Digital Fortress code with an altered version of it with a backdoor so the NSA can read all messages encrypted with it. But, what if someone downloaded it previously? He will be able to get the original version without any backdoor, so the plan completely fails. Even more, he can get also the other version with the backdoor, so he will be able to compare both and find the backdoor in it.

it says later that they were going to send out an “update” that would change any previous digital fortresses to their new back door version

By: Paul Jones

Paul Jones — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 20:56:08 +0000

Hi,

Please forgive me as I haven’t read all of the postings on your site and this may have already been mentioned, but I have a question regarding Digital Fortress which I have just read. Why does Strathmore need to put a backdoor into an altered version of the file? If they have the pass key then they can open all encrypted files anyway. Brown doesn’t mention that the pass key could/ could not be changed by the winning bidder…

Have I missed something?…

Many thanks.

Paul.

By: met

met — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:35:27 +0000

the only explanation i see for the cranberry juice thing is that mr. brown wanted to speak about patxaran (more popular in the basque country… oh yes, basque country, andalusia, who cares huh?) but he was too drunk when the barman told him that it was made of blackthorns (they remotely resemble blueberries). back home go figure “bilberries, blueberries, huckleberries… sod it… cran… be… rries… yeah that’s it”.

another explanation is that he was unable to even recall were the hell was he studying (?) and chose one country randomly.

By: Jeff Read

Jeff Read — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 23:27:02 +0000

Believe me, The Da Vinci Code isn't much better. He basically cites the controversial and largely debunked stuff from Holy Blood, Holy Grail as factual; but beyond that it's the same old garbage. His creative etymology for the name of Rosslyn Chapel is the same kind of BS you saw in Digital Fortress.

By: Iestyn

Iestyn — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 11:27:30 +0000

Another one for the collection of ‘mistakes’ in Spain:-

When in the Cathedral, Becker kneels to receive communion and sees the assassin behind him in the goblet just as he is about to be given the wine…..

Unless I’m very much out of touch, Catholic churches in Spain reserve the wine for the clergy - the people receive only the wafer/bread (and then aren’t allowed to touch it) for fear of dropping/spilling the body and blood of Christ.

I don’t mind mistakes which are of necessity fiction, but just as some of the glaring inaccuracies of the DVC, it’s little things like this which convince that whatever his strengths as a story-teller, Dan Brown is a lazy researcher.

By: Luis Rodriguez

Luis Rodriguez — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 20:06:49 +0000

Im glad some spaniards cleared that up for me, I had my doubts as well about the way Seville was portrayed in this book. He described it like some third world country or something, even I felt insulted by his comments and only being tied to Spain by heritage(Im from Puerto Rico). Gracias por sus comentarios compañeros, continuare con mi deseo de algun día viajar a España, saludos.

By: Dany

Dany — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:31:52 +0000

Dan Brown and Nsa…he says that only 3% of american people knowing Nsa…is it possible? Nsa and EFF…I know nsa but Eff? is it real? and really has a power so big in this age specially after the 11 september! I think now Nsa can work absolutely free and nobody can say them to not control any e-mail o phone talking all over the world crypted or not crypted…sorry for my english but I think this way.Dany from Italy

By: clin Sbud

clin Sbud — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 12:24:37 +0000

Mi querido sr. Brown: Si los idiotas volaran , tú serías ministro del Aire. Hay que ver cuantas tonterías escribes sobre Sevilla sin el más leve fundamento. Un saludo de un lector que jamás,repito, jamás te va a leer un libro.
P.D. No entro a valorar tu super “Beseler” porque heriría la sensibilidad de los inteligentes.