cross-posted from : https://anarchist.nexus/c/technology/p/436078/dutch-authorities-allegedly-seize-vpn-server-without-a-warrant-company-claims-that-la
The authorities apparently got tired of asking and just went in themselves.
Canada-based Windscribe, a VPN provider, just said that one of its European servers has been allegedly seized by Dutch authorities without a warrant. According to the company’s post on X, law enforcement said that they will return it to the service provider after they “fully analyze it.” It’s unclear why law enforcement impounded just a single rack from Windscribe’s cabinet, but the VPN provider said that it only uses RAM disk servers, meaning anyone who would look through the installed SSDs would only find a stock Ubuntu install on it, so the servers shouldn’t hold any trackable data.
users were quick to point out that “it is standard practice to keep a seized server powered on or otherwise technically accessible until investigators can perform a live memory (RAM) capture in a forensic lab.”
So that’s the next interesting question:
Have they used this standard practice in this case?
I’m curious how that’s possible.
As servers have redundant power supplies, they just probably unplug one, plug it into the battery, then unplug the next one, and plug that into another battery. My guess.
Interesting, I use AWS all the time and never considered they would have multiple power supplies.
A standard rack server will have two, also usually 2 CPU sockets and a whole bunch of weirdness if you’re used to desktops.