September 1993 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Digital warfare
by cme＠ellisun.sw.stratus.com 11 Sep '93

11 Sep '93

>Message-Id: <199309110508.AA18091(a)tramp.cc.utexas.edu> >Subject: Re: Digital warfare >To: karn(a)qualcomm.com (Phil Karn) >Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 00:08:37 -0500 (CDT) >From: Jim McCoy <mccoy(a)ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> >The two are really inseperable and it seems to be of little value to >pretend that they are not. IMNSHO, whether they're inseperable or not, harping on anarchy is like advocating strong crypto so that terrorists can use it, ignoring all legitimate uses. It's the talk which plays into FBI hands, not the reality. The reality is here and can not be avoided but reality can't be cited in PR campaigns the way talk can. I know that drug dealers, terrorists and child molestors will use strong crypto. That doesn't mean that I cite such uses when I write letters to Congress or to magazine editors. I cite legitimate uses which the general public will applaud -- not the abberant uses which can not be avoided, no matter how draconian the legislation against crypto. It might be satisfying to point out to the government that they can't stop anarchists and criminals from using crypto but IMHO that would merely (1) anger them and (2) give them ammo for denying ligitimate users access to crypto. It might even be that that's what they want all along -- let the criminals have it and deny it to you and me. That way criminals identify themselves by passing random-looking bits between them. Have a nice day. - Carl

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Usenet on CDs - info
by L. Detweiler 11 Sep '93

11 Sep '93

Hello cypherpunks. I've been trying to track down the Internet legend of `Usenet on CD' haphazardly for some time, and finally got lucky by accident. The first service was apparently started by Kent Landfield, a FAQ editor and entrepreneur who worked with 3 others and `quickly became overwhelmed' by the response and demand. This was under the company Sterling Software. They handed it off to CD Publishing Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia, CA who is at this moment distributing Usenet on CDs! Each disk has about 600 megabytes of news. Shipped within 30 days after the last date on the disk. Uses standard ISO 9660 CD format, Rock Ridge extension planned. They have Mac and Unix software on the disk, DOS software planned, with other software acceptable if it is ISO 9660 compliant. Prices range from $40 + 5 s/h per disk down to $24 per disk for 24 disks. The legal aspects of this are interesting. K. Landfield <Kent_Landfield(a)sterling.com>is probably one of the best experts on dealing with laywers on internet topics, and on copyright law & redistribution rights as they apply to Usenet. Interestingly, notably the highest traffic Usenet groups are purposely *omitted* from the disks based on copyright quagmires: >The following newsgroups are not supported due to legal reasons: > > alt.binaries.*, alt.sex.*, alt.toon-pics, alt.tasteless, > de.alt.binaries.*, fj.binaries.*, rec.arts.erotica BTW, the fact that semi- and wholly-pornographic material comprises a very large portion of Usenet traffic (see news.lists) makes the whole Usenet medium somewhat vulnerable to future legislative and public assaults. Remember that new NY Tax increase on telecommunications services I posted? The `conventional wisdom' is that it isn't very threatening, just a `sin tax' on the `phone sex' numbers. Now, look at how much of Usenet traffic is in lewd digitized pictures, and decide if smugness and complacency are maintainable! ===cut=here=== For orders, inquiries, and technical support, please contact : NetNews on CD's CD Publishing Corporation 4824 Fraser Street Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V5V 4H4 604-874-1430 800-333-7565 (USA) 604-874-1431 (FAX) <info(a)CDPublishing.COM> Note: E-mail orders currently cannot be accepted.

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misc.legal.computing #4107 - Korea now accepts secret US patent applications
by smb＠research.att.com 11 Sep '93

11 Sep '93

This was posted to misc.legal.computing and misc.int-property. It's forwarded to this list with permission. --Steve Bellovin In article <CD3H47.3Kz(a)world.std.com>, srctran(a)world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian) writes: > On July 29, 1993, the republic of South Korea became the 17th country > to sign an agreement with the United States to protect patent rights of > patent applications fild in the United States for which the government > has classified secret and indefinitely delay the prosecution of the patent. > Existing countries, mostly COCOM members, are: Australia, Belgium, Canada, > Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, > Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey and United Kingdom. > > For more information on secrecy aspects of US patents, contact Robert > Garrett at the Patent Office, 703-308-0753. > -- > ************************************************************************** > Greg Aharonian srctran(a)world.std.com > Source Translation & Optimization 617-489-3727 > P.O. Box 404, Belmont, MA 02178

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RE: Digital warfare
by ferguson＠fiber.sprintlink.net 11 Sep '93

11 Sep '93

On Fri, 10 Sep 93 20:57:16 EDT, <cme(a)ellisun.sw.stratus.com> Carl Ellison wrote - >> That's an interesting point (images of "Wild Palms" conjured). >> This _is_ the wave of the future, as Tim implies, and it's >> unfortunate that instances such as this (segway) tarnishes what >> it is that I think many of us are trying to espouse in the >> cypherpunk movement. >> > >> ferguson(a)icp.net | Privacy -- Use it or lose it. > > I have heard cypherpunks described as two groups under one label: > > 1. those of us who advocate privacy in private hands > > 2. those who advocate anarchy I find myself straddling the line most of the time, but I have to come down solidly on the side of privacy-advocate, if push came to shove. However, push isn't shoving, so we (cypher-punk-advocates) should all be able to heterogeneously work our goals -- soild, secure and unmolested crypto for the masses. Let's be realistic -- and effective. > It's important not to give the government any excuse which would > make the populace side with them against us. This is a political > battle and we need the people on our side. Anyone who thinks that this battle can be won purely on the grounds of technology is dead wrong. Political leverage is a factor which we must, absolutely be striving for. We're getting there, slowly (very slowly) through education, but digital realization is something that is not going to happen overnight. The impact has yet to hit home in the public sector. - -- On Fri, 10 Sep 1993 21:27:37 -0400, Perry E. Metzger <pmetzger(a)lehman.com> wrote - > Feel free to check my credentials. I assure you I earn more than > enough money at my job that it wouldn't be worth the FBI's money to > make the bribe big enough -- it would also have to cover the risk to > me that being an anarchist presents vis a vis my job -- someday I > might lose it for having strange political ideas, and salaries like > mine are hard to come by in other professions. Oh, come now, Perry. Let's be practical. I (on just one side of this multi-faceted topic), on the other hand, maintain more conventional idealisms; much more geared towards maintaining privacy (at all costs) and fighting the big brother machinations of a government out of control. In my own hairy opinion, anarchy is a losing strategy, but that is merely a matter of semantics, not something we should hash out on this list. I believe in the growth of the world-wide matrix; the growth of the internet -- access for the masses. In fact, that's just what I do to earn my pay. Filter this, Filter that, BGP this, EGP that, OSPF (oh, no!). I believe in strong cryptography. I believe in your power (and mine) to actually endorse and shape the world of digital communications. Let's just agree that we hold the same views on the matter of cryptography: it's a powerful tool. In the hands of the masses, it allows privacy unhindered. Compromised or crippled by the oppressive forces of a government, it is a weapon against privacy. > I'll fully agree that arguing for anarchy with the general public > won't work at the current time -- and I agree that our image is > important. However, at this point the battle is being fought by folks > like EFF and CPSR. I for one don't see any reason to hide my politics, > although I try not to make an issue of it. A wise summation. I would like to think that others are as aware of the political battlefields that must be crossed. I despise the political machine, but I understand the importance in influencing it in order to achieve the ideal "space." Government has no damned business in networking. We do. Paul Ferguson | privacy \'pri-va-see\ n, pl, -cies; Mindbank Consulting Group | 1: the quality or state of being apart Fairfax, Virginia USA | from others 2: secrecy fergp(a)sytex.com | ferguson(a)icp.net | Privacy -- Use it or lose it.

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Digital warfare
by ferguson＠fiber.sprintlink.net 10 Sep '93

10 Sep '93

On Fri, 10 Sep 93 14:35:02 PDT, <uunet!netcom.com!tcmay> Timothy C. May wrote - > An investigator called this type of crime the wave of the > future, and said something to the effect that "chips will > be the coke of the 90s." Also talk of black markets and > how computer networks are being used to coordinate things. > So, if you see folks using BlackNet for advertising Intel > chips.... That's an interesting point (images of "Wild Palms" conjured). This _is_ the wave of the future, as Tim implies, and it's unfortunate that instances such as this (segway) tarnishes what it is that I think many of us are trying to espouse in the cypherpunk movement. Paul Ferguson | privacy \'pri-va-see\ n, pl, -cies; Mindbank Consulting Group | 1: the quality or state of being apart Fairfax, Virginia USA | from others 2: secrecy fergp(a)sytex.com | ferguson(a)icp.net | Privacy -- Use it or lose it.

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"Code Warriors" Article in "Metro" Newspaper
by tcmay＠netcom.com 10 Sep '93

10 Sep '93

Bay Area Cypherpunks and Extropians, Julian Dibbell's excellent article that appeared in the "Village Voice" (August 3rd, cover story) is the *cover story* as well in the latest "Metro" newspaper, the free San Jose area paper (but we get it down here in Santa Cruz as well). I have picked up a handful of these free papers, which I'll take to the Cypherpunks meeting this Saturday. But you all ought to do the same. And those not in the Bay Area may want to be on the lookout for versions of this appearing in your own community newspapers. If it was sold to "Metro," it'll probably be in other major markets as well. Plastered across the cover is this: "CODE WARRIORS New encryption software cripples the government's power to monitor our activities, eavesdrop on our conversations or read our e-mail. Soon the state may be unable to regulate business, collect taxes, spy on foreign enemies, or police criminal activity. It will be the end of government as we know it." And in the table of contents is this description of the article: "COVER STORY How will the Feds be able to control us when they won't know what the hell's going on? Simple encryption software now gives ordinary citizens the ability to keep their secrets secret--and conduct underground transactions safe from the prying eyes of government spooks and IRS agents." And the "Metro" version also differs from the "VV" version by having such paragraphs like this in 24-point type: "Untraceable digital cash transactions and a brisk commerce in trade secrets could spell doom for the corporation as we know it. Hopelessly untaxable, such crypto-markets could also sap the strength of governments." Wow! And "Gulp." I may have to get my European Community passport sooner than I had planned. Does Martinique have a Net connection? -- .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. Note: I put time and money into writing this posting. I hope you enjoy it.

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Re: Crack DES in 3.5 hours for only $1,500,000!
by cme＠ellisun.sw.stratus.com 10 Sep '93

10 Sep '93

>From: gnu(a)toad.com (John Gilmore) >Message-Id: <9309100913.AA23487(a)toad.com> >Subject: Re: Crack DES in 3.5 hours for only $1,500,000! >Date: Fri, 10 Sep 93 02:13:32 -0700 It feels like you're jumping to conclusions, John. At 40 bits of key, I don't care how strong an algorithm is. I can have my network of SPARCstations try all keys. NSA chip technology doesn't enter into that analysis. Meanwhile, on the death of DES -- what we know is that there's a known plaintext attack, given the right hardware. What I've recently heard called a pre-whitening (XOR with PRNG before the DES) wipes out the known plaintext. The PRNG doesn't need to be that strong. It's protected by DES and vice versa -- Chinese-puzzle style. Of course, my personal favorite DES variant remains: compress|des|tran|des|tran|des but if you're really paranoid, you could change it to: compress|xor|tran|des|tran|des|tran|des since xor and tran are so cheap. [des in any mode you prefer -- eg., cbc or cfb -- IVs kept secret, of course.] [For those not reading sci.crypt, tran is an (up to) 8KB transposition with PRNG keyed from the histogram of the first block of bytes -- code posted to sci.crypt, mailed by me or avbl by ftp from scss3.cl.msu.edu.] - Carl

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Object Code Release
by Matthew J Miszewski 10 Sep '93

10 Sep '93

Just a qwik note on the release of ViaCrypt only in object code. Ill dig up the cite later but recent appelate decisions show two circuits leaning toward allowing fair use decompiling for academic purposes. Actually, they have gone as far to say that deprogramming an EEPROM and printing out the resultant Source (after decompiled) *might* be considered a fair use of sorts. So, release VC in object and have the folks that decompiled the KOH decompile this too and whallah! A more robust encryption scheme (not security thru obscurity). Matt (not --Matt) mjmiski(a)macc.wisc.edu (I hate .sig space)

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DES, key scheduler
by Timothy Newsham 10 Sep '93

10 Sep '93

Does anyone here have a list of the scheduled bits for each subkey in each round of DES? (ie. if input key is {0,1,...64} (or 56) then k1 = { 15, 2, 35, ... } etc.) Alternatively (next best thing) does anyone have a list of which key bits arent used in each round? Tim N.

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Further PGP Security Doubts
by Graham Toal 10 Sep '93

10 Sep '93

In article <199308261827.AA25477@xtropia> an31144(a)anon.penet.fi writes: > I have been seeing yet more criticisms of PGP, this time from some > character calling himself "Raymond Paquin." He claims to be a > professor of mathematics who has been working at an unnamed university > exclusively on cryptographics for the past twelve years. He implies > that he is working for some government in a classified capacity and is > thus unable to either publish or discuss the matter openly. I missed that one (had <pressing> matters to attend to ;-) ) - could someone repost it please? I'd quite like to see if my text style analysis skills are still working :) G -- Personal mail to gtoal(a)gtoal.com (I read it in the evenings) Business mail to gtoal(a)an-teallach.com (Be careful with the spelling!) Faxes to An Teallach Limited: +44 31 662 4678 Voice: +44 31 668 1550 x212

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