May 1993 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: MCI, Sprint or bust ...
by jordan＠imsi.com 20 May '93

20 May '93

>>> what makes more sense is to buy some at&t shares ... Looks like someone did that. AT&T is up about $8 in the past four days, up another 4.8% today ... /jordan

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Where are the key servers?
by poier＠sfu.ca 20 May '93

20 May '93

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hi.. What are the address(es) of the worldwide key server(s)? I thought I had them around here somewhere.... thx skye - -- - -----====> Skye Merlin Poier <====----- Undergrad in CMPT/MATH (Virtual Reality) |||| |||| email: poier(a)sfu.ca p-OO <--> OO-q THINK PGP Public Key available on finger \== ==/ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.2 iQCVAgUBK/rXky0bkpXW3omvAQHvNAQAjQ1yBeBEp2bjd+nx0eq33YO68wAN+V1c mSZIWPnFDXCsJoBB3Ol7T9pzENr0kCH7EtvetyrwFhbzQYrIUPFs34hPs7AgMcYj OXB82X8wQ38KaQJTcyL3eLkbegrnxdYzU8kLKgGVs6QCQqHGE8ZG0WlSntXZHcYy xbZqaIYndsg= =uT12 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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tempest
by trimm＠netcom.com 19 May '93

19 May '93

Reply to TO1SITTLER re: tempest TEMPEST is NACSIM 5100A (there are some new numbers which I can't remember), a NSA specification for the emission of compromising EMI from computers and other digital data processing equipment. It is a Faraday cage, except that they divide the system into "black" noise circuits and "red" noise circuits. An example of black emissions would be the constant 50 KHz signal emitted by a switcher power supply, that contains no useful information. You can emit as much black as you want. You cannot emit ANY red information, that is, CRT guns, data busses, data transmission lines, etc. Red information can be reconstructed easily bu passive interception. Your PC, for example, has a monitor that emits enough information to allow unintended interception up to a mile away. If you need more details, write back. Gary trimm(a)netcom.com --

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No Subject
by TO1SITTLER＠APSICC.APS.EDU 19 May '93

19 May '93

From: SMTP%"Postmaster" 14-MAY-1993 22:58:16.22 To: <TO1SITTLER> CC: Subj: Undeliverable Mail Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 22:58:09 -0600 (MDT) From: Postmaster(a)APSICC.APS.EDU Subject: Undeliverable Mail To: <TO1SITTLER> Bad address -- <drzaphod(a)ncselxsi.uucp> Error -- Nameserver error: Unknown host Start of returned message Date: Fri, 14 May 1993 22:58:07 -0600 (MDT) From: TO1SITTLER(a)APSICC.APS.EDU Message-Id: <930514225807.c83d(a)APSICC.APS.EDU> Subject: Tempest To: drzaphod(a)ncselxsi.uucp X-Vmsmail-To: SMTP%"drzaphod(a)ncselxsi.uucp" Where can I find more info about tempest? Is it a roomwide thing, is it implemented in the cables and housings, or what? I understand that the purpose of Tempest is to prevent people from spying on you via electronic emissions detection. Is this just a glorified Faraday cage? End of returned message

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false positives
by baumbach＠atmel.com 19 May '93

19 May '93

I have an encryption question: Has anyone tried to create a strong encryption algorithm that cannot be broken by brute force? If the algorithm relied on a dictionary, for instance, then the wrong key could still return something that resembles english. It would be even better if for any arbitrary text, a KEY could be generated which maps the encrypted real message to the arbitrary text. With this system, even if your true key could be figured out (maybe you wrote it on a napkin!), you could easely deny the accuracy of the decryption. A decrypted message would only be useful for information, but never for evidence. This is more of an idea than a question. What do you think? In liberty, Peter Baumbach baumbach(a)atmel.com

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Consider "Working Assets" phone service instead of AT&T
by Marianne Mueller 19 May '93

19 May '93

Another option to AT&T long distance service is something called Working Assets. Quoting from their bill, "Every time you call long distance with Working Assets, a percentage of your charge goes to nonprofit action groups that are working for a better world. These donations are made by Working Assets at no extra cost to you. ... For a list of groups Working Assets has funded in the past, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to 701 Montgomery Street #400 San Francisco, CA 94111 ... You automatically get a discount of up to 15% on interstate calls, depending on your monthly calling volume. And you automatically get a 20% Friendship Discount (indicated by and "F" on the bill) when you call another member of the Working Assets Long Distance network. ... Working Assets is the only phone company to sign the Valdez Principles, committing ourselves to environmental responsibility." (The bills are on 100% postconsumer recycled paper, unbleached, and they plant 17 trees for every ton of paper they use.) You can contact Working Assets by calling 1-800-788-8588 (let's face it, a phone company is going to know your number) or write them at the above address. If you tell them I recommended you, I get $10 off my bill, but you don't have to do that. I'm recommending them because I think they are a great option to AT&T, not because I want $10 off my bill! I chose Amnesty International as the nonprofit that gets donations when I make long distance calls. I think Working Assets has dozens of nonprofits you can choose from. And hey, celebrity endorsement: Ralph Nader goes around urging everyone to sign up with Working Assets. Cheerios, Marianne

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BBSs under fire!
by sneal＠muskwa.ucs.ualberta.ca 19 May '93

19 May '93

Stanton McCandlish writes: >I'd like to invite discussion, either private or listwise, on: Why is >the govt. targetting BBSs? I suspect that a lot of law enforcement agencies are worried about their budgets right now, and in response, they've made a point of going after easy targets with high publicity value: i.e. people who lack resources to mount a strong defense, and who are looked upon with suspicion by the mainstream. BBSs, Branch Davidians, and now health food stores, fall nicely into this category. To be a successful bully, you've got to find victims who can't fight back. Further, if LawEnf can push a lot of hot buttons in their press releases about the raid ("kiddypornterroristdrugdealingmurphybrownpotatoe"), they can count on lots of media attention, which is always good when budget time comes... politicians are reluctant to put the axe to the heroes of the day. I also suspect that Big Brother is becoming peripherally aware that the uncontrolled, unmonitored, and extremely rapid flow of information via "new media" (a disreputable phrase, but there ya go) is a threat to the existing power structure. Alvin Toffler does a good number on this in "Powershift" (nice title, thanks a LOT, Alvin; why don't you just TELL the bad guys what's going on??!). The spooks and their bedfellows (ENCRYPTED OFFENSIVE STATEMENT FOLLOWS Bt Epspuiz Efoojoh mjlft up tbz, "Uif OTB dbo bmxbzt gjmm jo uif ipmft!" END OFFENSIVE STATEMENT) have always counted on being able to keep tabs on who's saying what, and to find and squelch troublemakers that get too far out of line. The proliferation of BBSs drastically increases the number of "pressure points" needed to control information flows in any meaningful way. Add strong crypto to geometrically expanding information paths, and you've got a spook's nightmare. Not only does the head of the NSA have to hire new guys to monitor all the BBSs, but now he's got to buy a bunch more Crays to keep up with the crypto traffic. The poor guy must be swimming in his shorts..."My GOD! What if somebody SAYS something BAD and I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT??!". -- Steve

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RE: MCI, Sprint or bust ...
by fergp＠sytex.com 19 May '93

19 May '93

On Wed, 19 May 1993 10:43:53 -0400 peter honeyman <uunet!citi.umich.edu!honey> wrote - > i think it's naive to boycott at&t over clipper. i'm sure mci > and sprint are the same sort of villains as at&t. Perhaps, but at least MCI or SPRINT has not publicly acknowledged the use of Government sponsored crypto. Insistance of naivete is subjective opinion. > what makes more sense is to buy some at&t shares and force the > issue at the next stockholders' meeting. Easier said than done. Cheers. Paul Ferguson | "... certain unalienable Rights, Network Integrator | that among these, are Life, Liberty, Centreville, Virginia USA | and the pursuit of Happiness." fergp(a)sytex.com | -- The Declaration of Independence Stop the Wiretap (Clipper/Capstone) Chip.

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Re: BBSs under fire! (or on fire, if BATF gets into the act!)
by smb＠research.att.com 19 May '93

19 May '93

>> Now, maybe I missed something, but I have yet to see the secret ser vice raid >> ftparchive.blah.edu, or UNM where I work, for 'pandering'. You missed it. It has happened. MIT used to run an alt.sex.bondage stories server. Someone would read a.s.b., cull out the stories and make them available for anonymous ftp. It's happening again, even as we speak. The UNC public access system is being criticized by the local Fox TV station for providing access to ``pornography'' to kids.

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FTP: new materials on the archive
by Eric Hughes 19 May '93

19 May '93

I've done a bit of archive maintenance in the last week. A bunch of the Clipper info I had has been cleaned up and posted. I've put up the sci.crypt FAQ, which I would like everyone who has basic questions to read, as well as L. Detweiler's Anonymity on the Internet FAQ. Enjoy. Eric

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