Passware, Inc. a provider of password recovery, decryption, and evidence discovery software for computer forensics, announced that the latest version of its flagship product, Passware Kit Forensic, has the capability to break TrueCrypt hard drive encryption without applying a time-consuming brute-force attack.

Long believed unbreakable, TrueCrypt is a free open-source full-disk encryption software for Windows 7/Vista/XP, Mac OS X and Linux, that creates virtual hard disks with real-time encryption.

In response to customer requests, especially from law enforcement organizations, Passware has enhanced Passware Kit Forensic to allow for memory acquisition of a seized computer over FireWire port, even if the computer is locked. When a target computer is seized and turned on with the encryption disk accessible, the software scans its memory image and extracts the encryption keys, so law enforcement personnel can access the stored data.

“Our law enforcement customers requested decryption of TrueCrypt disks, and we developed a practical and effective method for quickly obtaining encrypted data,” said Dmitry Sumin, president of Passware, Inc. “We are proud to be the first to market with a solution that empowers police, law enforcement officials and private investigators to bypass both BitLocker and now TrueCrypt encryption of seized computers.”