December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Nationalized Public Radio
by x 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Exceprts from: " Text of RFE/RL President Kevin Klose's Statements Prague, July 4 (RFE/RL) -- The following is a text of introductory remarks by RFE/RL President Kevin Klose today at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: .... On this Independence Day, 1996, the two-hundredth twentieth celebration of the United States, we are also celebrating the second anniversary of the decision to move Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty to the former federal parliament building here in Prague. We are deeply honored that Mrs. Clinton has chosen our headquarters from which to make an historic, Indpendence Day address. .... History has taught that democracy cannot live in an information vacuum. indeed, a well-informed citizenry is essential for democracy and free-market economies to flourish. This powerful historic truth guides our radios each day. Our servces in 23 languages provide accurate, objective news and information to millions of people across 11 time zones. Citizens in newly-emancipated lands can be freed from the past by the power of information itself to establish civil societies. The stakes are enormous. Civil societies that guard human freedoms across our broadcast regions can guarantee a stable, peaceful future for all of Europe and the world. Our mission to assist democratic change, to combat nationalism and racism, must not falter. .... Here at the radios you will find 350 Czechs and Americans, and men and women from more than 20 other countries, working in harmony and partnership to broadcast truthful information for the sake of our homelands and the futures of our children. Thank you, one and all. Thank you, Mrs. Clinton, for joining us to celebrate our Independence Day. © 1996 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. All Rights Reserved. " ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- Disclaimer: This is a review and fair use, thank you very much, or should I pack my prison garb now? Since freedom cannot flourish in an information vacuum this posting is probably illegal. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- At 06:51 PM 11/11/98 -0500, Frederick Burroughs wrote: > >National Public Radio (NPR) today announced the appointment of Kevin >Klose as the next President and CEO of NPR. His stint at The Washington >Post included a position as Moscow Bureau Chief. He is currently >Director of the US International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). > >No need to hide your shortwave under the floorboards anymore, Voice of >America is now on the FM airwaves. Story at: > >http://www.npr.org/inside/press/981111.klose.html > > >

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acceptable user policies
by Duncan Licence 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

hey there, I am having to formulate an acceptable user policy for the users. Does anybody know of any online references, or examples of such policies. This would have to include specifications like email use, internet access, games over the LAN - anything that you can get your head around pertaining to such. This of course would have to weigh up between the rights of the users and protection of the network and PCs Your help would be greatly appreciated Duncan

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acceptable user policies
by Duncan Licence 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

hey there, I am having to formulate an acceptable user policy for the users. Does anybody know of any online references, or examples of such policies. This would have to include specifications like email use, internet access, games over the LAN - anything that you can get your head around pertaining to such. This of course would have to weigh up between the rights of the users and protection of the network and PCs Your help would be greatly appreciated Duncan

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by STUFFED FRI NOV 13 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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RE: DCSB: Mary Ellen Zurko; Jonah, IBM, Open Source, and Digital Commerce
by Fisher Mark 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>> Mary Ellen Zurko is Security Architect at Iris, the folks who brought you >> Lotus Notes. >I suggest she be hung by her toes until she repents for that >abomination. IIRC, back in the www-security mailing list days, she wasn't at Iris at all -- so she wasn't there when the original architecture was laid in place. MLF "former Notes admin" ========================================================== Mark Leighton Fisher Thomson Consumer Electronics fisherm(a)indy.tce.com Indianapolis, IN "Their walls are built of cannon balls, their motto is 'Don't Tread on Me'"

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Censorware
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

So, does the ADL censor Farrakan? Will the white supremecists publish their own "screen" to keep their brood pure ? Jewish censorware. Gotta love the irony. Time to re-fluoridate my precious bodily fluids. Thursday November 12 10:32 AM ET ADL And Learning Co. Create Hate Filter BOSTON (Reuters) - The Anti-Defamation League, which has been monitoring hate groups for 85 years, has teamed up with educational software maker The Learning Co. to create a filter that screens out hate sites on the Internet. Dubbed the ADL HateFilter and available from the ADL's Web site (www.adl.org) parents can install the screen on home computers and thereby keep ``bigotry and prejudice out of their homes,'' ADL National Chairman Howard Berkowitz said. The ADL HateFilter sits atop the Learning Co.'s Cyber Patrol product, a filter that is used by both parents and teachers to block children's access to Internet sites ''containing drug information, sexual text, nudity. Things that parents may consider inappropriate for children,'' a spokeswoman for Cambridge, Mass.-based software maker said. The ADL HateFilter does not just screen hate sites, but also provides a link to obtain information about the hate groups, the Learning Co.'s Susan Getgood said. ``We've basically been doing this for 85 years, we just transferred the information to the Internet,'' explained ADL spokeswoman Myrna Shinbaum. The sites filtered are those that in the ADL's judgment advocate hatred, bigotry or even violence toward Jews or other groups on the basis of their religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other immutable characteristics. The ADL, founded in 1913, is holding its 85th annual National Commission meeting in Boston. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/tc/story.html?s=v/nm/19981112/tc/filter _1.html

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acceptable user policies
by Duncan Licence 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

hey there, I am having to formulate an acceptable user policy for the users. Does anybody know of any online references, or examples of such policies. This would have to include specifications like email use, internet access, games over the LAN - anything that you can get your head around pertaining to such. This of course would have to weigh up between the rights of the users and protection of the network and PCs Your help would be greatly appreciated Duncan

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Re: acceptable user policies
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Yeah, let me give you the first rule of acceptable user policies. Users shall not spam a maillist multiple times with the same damn request, because a) their question is a lot less likely to be answered by annoyed listmembers, and b) said annoyed listmembers will probably end up mailing the user's ISP and complaining, resulting in disciplinary action against said abusive user. Before you start formulating an acceptable user policy, why don't you go spend some time in news.announce.newusers and learn some netiquette. At 03:11 PM 11/11/98 +0000, Duncan Licence wrote: >hey there, > > I am having to formulate an acceptable user policy for the users. Does >anybody know of any online references, or examples of such policies. >This would have to include specifications like email use, internet >access, games over the LAN - anything that you can get your head around >pertaining to such. This of course would have to weigh up between the >rights of the users and protection of the network and PCs > > > Your help would be greatly appreciated > Duncan

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GOST
by scoops 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Jetico <www.jetico.com> a Finnish company (I believe) offers a number of encryption algorithms in its BestCrypt package, among which is GOST which it reports having a 256 key (it also sports Blowfish and DES as I recall). I also remember a few weeks ago reports in the press and on the List of a porn ring broken up and some agent involved saying that the some porn was encrypted in an old KGB program which sounded much like GOST. The implication is that it's transparent to the feds. However I have no idea about various levels at which it might be implimented. I'm sure the real experts on the List will fill you in.

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JOBOP Software Engineer
by mxm＠candseek.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Since your address was listed on a software engineering oriented site, I was hoping you could help me out. I am currently looking for individuals with a strong background in C++ development on a Windows NT platform. I represent a leader in software development for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries specializing in customized Manufacturing Execution Systems. For this exciting, growth opportunity, I am looking for an individual to play a key role in gathering requirements from clients and relaying that information to an internal development team. In addition to acting as a liaison, this individual will also participate in the development of the system. Position can work from Northern Virginia or Central Connecticut and we will assist in relocation expenses. An ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of experience conducting C++ development on an NT platform. Communication skills are also important due to the interaction with both internal and external clients. Prior project management experience is a plus. Salary to $90,000 with a generous benefits package. If you know of anyone that might be interested, please forward this email or contact me directly. Thank You, Megan McCullough Diedre Moire Corporation 510 Horizon Center Robbinsville, NJ 08691 (609) 584-9000ext275 (609) 584-9575 (fax) mxm(a)candseek.com

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ANNOUNCE: SATURDAY Bay Area Cypherpunks Meeting - Stanford University
by Bill Stewart 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The November Cypherpunks Meeting will be Saturday 11/14 from 1-5pm at Stanford, at the tables outside Tresidder Union, near the bookstore. The tables are on the west side, which is the inside of the U-shape. Coffee and food are available in the building. If the weather is uncooperative, we will also be inside the building. Lucky Green will be talking about his latest work. Bagels and Bagel Parephrenalia will be provided. Directions to Stanford Tresidder Hall Stanford is between El Camino Real and Junipero Serra Blvd, which are between 101 and 280. The Tresidder Parking Lot is on Mayfield Ave, off Campus Drive East. http://www.stanford.edu/home/map/search_map.html?keyword=&ACADEMIC=Tresidde… http://www.stanford.edu/home/map/stanford_zoom_map.html?234,312 The upside-down map of Stanford&Vicinity is at http://www.stanford.edu/home/visitors/vicinity.html Thanks! Bill Bill Stewart, bill.stewart(a)pobox.com PGP Fingerprint D454 E202 CBC8 40BF 3C85 B884 0ABE 4639

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Crypto fallout
by bill payne 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Wednesday 11/11/98 2:26 PM John Young J Orlin Grabbe Emile Zola I visited Jim Omura president of Cylink several times. And bought 6, I recall, CY 1024 public key arithmetic chips for Sandia. At an outrageous price. Omura gave my paper on RSA encryption, posted at jya.com, to Jon Graff. My feeling is that when those who own crypto devices manufactured by Cylink, RSA, Crypto Ag, ... finally realize that PROBABLY their devices have been spiked to transmit the key with the ciphertext there will be a reversal of fortune at these companies. Like the current Cylink problem. http://www.jya.com/cylink-suit.htm The WORD is getting out. Thanks to you guys. And those who read Black and White will realize how to fix their crypto problems TOO. bill Title: Black and White Test of Cryptographic Algorithms Jump to Forum Click Image to Jump to Next Article Go to Text Only Print Version Black and White Test of Cryptographic Algorithms by William H. Payne This article requires special formatting. Please Click Here to Read Send This Article to a Friend: Your Name: Email Address of your Friend: Your Email address: Back to Home Page Quick Menu Visit the Button Shop Interactive Forum Black and White Test of Cryptographic Algorithms E-mail the Editor

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Enter Symbol's Hacker Contest at the Palm Computing Platform Developer Conference!!
by palmdeveloper＠palmdevcon.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Symbol announces the first annual Symbol SPT 100 Developer Contest! You could win a Toshiba Tecra 780 DVD 266 MHz Pentium II Notebook by developing the Best SPT 100 Application. Other cool prizes will also be awarded. Everyone who participates will receive a t-shirt. You must be a registered attendee of the Palm Computing Platform Developer Content to participate. Winners will be announced at the Conference, December 1-4. For more details on the contest, and to register for the conference, point your browser to http://www.palmdevcon.com.

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Re: most of what govts do can be done by business, and done better (Re: How to solve the tax problem w/o anarchy or force)
by Soren 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Jim Burnes - Denver wrote: On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Soren wrote: > There is a real live example of this kind of transition. New Zealand. > much interesting info deleted What kind of constitution and bill of rights does New Zealand have? Check this out. Do I have the right of gun ownership to protect myself or stop tyrannical takeover? That's very funny. The US, the country that allows most gun ownership (in the 1st world), is the most in need of that right to defend against both illegal and legal criminals. So much for the value of the 2nd amendment. To answer your question though, yes you have the right to buy a gun, just as you have the right to buy a car (a far more lethal instrument in general). You are held to account for what you do with it however (irrespective of whether its a gun or car). If you kill someone, then you are generally arrested and tried for either murder or manslaughter. Manslaughter is the usual charge if you shoot someone who was threatening to kill you. It all depends on how successful they were in the attempt. Several cases of pissed off people shooting neighbours who were merely harassing them, and getting acquitted of any charges, exist. Something like 10 murders a year and climbing (fueled by the gangsta rap lovers amongst the maori, mostly. Thank you USA!!). When most violent crime is of the form of being beaten up in a bar, or surprizing a burglar and getting threatened with a club or knife, responding with lethal force is considered not to be very sporting. Hand guns are rare, but there are hand gun clubs. Seems a lot like a waste of energy to me, preparing for an event that is very unlikely to occur in your lifetime. Most gun owners are hunters, shooting pig, deer, possums, elk .... Permits are not required. Bow hunting is also quite popular. New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy in the english tradition, with only one house. Recently, MMP (similar to Germany's) system of representation, was passed by referendum. This means that any candidate and/or party that gets 5% of a popular vote, gets a seat in the parliament. The more 5%s you get, the more seats. Each citizen gets 2 votes. One for a candidate, and one for a party. There are currently 6(ish) major political parties. Under MMP, proportional representation means that the the elected candidates have to form a coalition government. I.e. they all get together and make/break friendships until a clear winner/majority is declared (a very public process). If a clear winner cannot be found, another election is held until something gells. Once that happens, the majority coalition designates a 'prime' minister and a cabinet of ministers, to call the shots. This is very unlike a presidential executive, in that these ministers are, in effect, hired by the coalition government and not directly elected to office. Prime ministers do not have to get impeached to remove them from office. If the majority coalition gets P.O'ed with any minister's track record, he gets fired. If the population gets P.O'ed with the winning coalition, the coalitions will change to form a new government and new cabinet, to suit the mood(swing) of the populace. This is a very adversarial system for a government to operate under. There are virtually no bi(multi-)partisan activities (the last was the economic revolution in 1986). Generally, the opposition is always angling to destabilize the current majority coalition, with lots of rhetoric flying in the press. Consequently, the majority coalition has to keep on their toes and please the population. Sometimes this leads to some skullduggery and dishonest activities. The population (and press) have exactly zero tolerance for crooked politicians. Typically, a Member of Parliament who gets out of line, is out of office within the month, often the week. Ergo, no real need for guns when you have a government that can be dissolved at any time by either a new majority being formed, or the population calling for an election. Unpopular laws are generally ignored, or become the cause for a new election. This happens on a regular basis. I always had a sneaking suspicion that basing the US republic on the roman model, was not such a good idea. Look what happened to them. (Hail Clinton!, long live the emperor! Only until the present emergency lasts, honest! Those huns (drug dealers) and vandals (terrorists) have to be defeated first). Its hard to compare, how NZ's system works in practise, with the self-aggrandizing and self-important poll-doll system in the US (bread and circuses). Mostly politicians in NZ are the guys who live next door, and who you go fishing with. They all have a distaste for overinflated egos. This is deeply ingrained in the national psyche, often to a fault (tall poppy syndrome). It is a nation of fiercely rugged individualism (even at its collectivist height in the 1970s). You are still considered to be a wuss if you didn't build your own home, or don't fix your own car or computer (or write your own crypto?), or have your own business, although this is changing under the onslaught of US cultural imperialism and hamburger diplomacy. As it's an island nation, 1 in 5 people has a boat, and generally use it to go fishing. Again, no permits necessary. A lot of people also build their own boats, although this is changing ... I suppose the closest comparison in the US, would be to think of it as a cross between Alaska and Hawaii. Hope that answers your questions. You should look around the NZ web sites for more detail, or better yet, take a month or two and go and check it out. Christmas is fast approaching, which is the start of summer and the holiday season, all rolled into one.

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IP: WiredNews: Virus Thrives on HTML
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: believer(a)telepath.com Subject: IP: WiredNews: Virus Thrives on HTML Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 09:46:31 -0600 To: believer(a)telepath.com Source: Wired News http://www.wired.com/news/news/technology/story/16206.html Virus Thrives on HTML by Chris Oakes 5:53 p.m.11.Nov.98.PST An old computer invader has found a new place to thrive. A virus-monitoring group this week posted a computer virus -- called "html.internal" -- that is the first to replicate itself through hypertext markup language, or HTML, the code that defines the common Web page. "Looks like the virus crowd has finally discovered the Internet," said Richard Smith of Phar Lap Software. "HTML pages are extremely mobile.... They're intended to be given out." Other observers point out the demonstration virus requires specific Windows scripting software to carry out its task. They maintain that the virus, therefore, exposes the vulnerability of the secondary software, VisualBasic Script, not plain vanilla Web pages. "It draws attention to the power that's available to the VBScript programmer," said Jimmy Kuo, director of antivirus research at Network Associates. A computer virus typically spreads through shared files, such as word processing documents or email attachments. It most often consists of a program or piece of code that runs invisibly on any computer it manages to infect. Like any virus, it replicates itself. That replication can be threatening in itself if the virus is large, since it will quickly fill a computer's memory and cause a crash. Viruses once depended mainly on floppy disks for their travels, but networks have introduced an easier path. The HTML virus, created by the Virus Information Center and released on Tuesday, was built as a demo and does not present a large security risk in and of itself. It works through Internet Explorer 4.0 and relies on the scripting feature, VBScript, built into the latest Microsoft PC operating system, Windows 98. If security warnings are ignored, the virus will load via a Web page and infect other Web pages on the host computer. Protections already built into Internet Explorer 4.0 would warn users if they encountered the virus, said a Microsoft spokeswoman. Copyright © 1994-98 Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved. ----------------------- NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ----------------------- **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo(a)majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************

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FW: Network Associates rejoins Key Recovery Alliance
by Stewart, William C (Bill), BNSVC 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Forwarded via Dave Farber's list: -----Original Message----- From: Kathleen Ellis [mailto:ellis@epic.org] Sent: Thursday, November 12, 1998 12:25 PM To: cryptography(a)c2.net Subject: Network Associates rejoins Key Recovery Alliance As seen on Slashdot.. http://www.slashdot.org Posted by blizzard on Thursday November 12, @09:41AM from the gimme-your-data dept. Andrew Hagen writes "Network Associates, formerly McAfee, developer of PGP, has quietly rejoined the Key Recovery Alliance. Despite withdrawing from the group last December amid pointed concerns over the continued trustworthiness of PGP, NAI apparently rejoined the Key Recovery Alliance (KRA) three months later with their February 1998 acquisition of Trusted Information Systems, a founding member of the KRA. The KRA's major stated goal is creation of "a global infrastructure that supports recovery of encrypted information." NAI has sent me e-mail stating that they might or might not remain in the KRA, that "PGP products will not be affected," and that they have "no interest in enabling key escrow for government access." Network Associates is presently listed on the KRA membership roster." Kathleen Ellis Admin. Dir., Electronic Privacy Information Center Voice Mail: (202)298-0833 http://www.epic.org Keep up with the latest encryption news and events: http://www.crypto.org PGP 5.0 Key ID 9bf725b4 65FF B997 62B8 C396 A527 2D6A 4901 F701 9BF7 25B4 _____________________________________________________________________ David Farber The Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Telecommunication Systems University of Pennsylvania Home Page: http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~farber

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IP: World's biggest hard drive
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: believer(a)telepath.com Subject: IP: World's biggest hard drive Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 23:15:59 -0600 To: believer(a)telepath.com WORLD'S BIGGEST DISK DRIVE To mark the centenary of magnetic recording, IBM today unveiled the largest (25gb) hard drive yet produced for PCs. It's shipping limited numbers to PC makers for use in machines that will be ready for Christmas. IBM introduced the first disk drive, back in 1956. It had a capacity of 5mb and was the size of two large refrigerators. The new 25gb drive comes on the 100th anniversary of the Telegraphone, a primitive answering machine. See http://www.ibm.com/News/1998/11/11.phtml From: Alan Farrelly, News Interactive. Australia **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo(a)majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************

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IP: Clinton Point-Man on 'Y2K' is Low-Balling Magnitude of the Impending Crisis
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: believer(a)telepath.com Subject: IP: Clinton Point-Man on 'Y2K' is Low-Balling Magnitude of the Impending Crisis Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 11:12:41 -0600 To: believer(a)telepath.com Source: Center for Security Policy http://www.security-policy.org/papers/1998/98-C181.html Publications of the Casey Institute of the Center for Security Policy No. 98-C 181 PERSPECTIVE 5 November 1998 Whistling Past the Graveyard: Clinton Point-Man on 'Y2K' is Low-Balling Magnitude of the Impending Crisis (Washington, D.C.): Today's Washington Post features an article about a few of the problems besetting the U.S. government as it grapples, belatedly, with the Year 2000 (or Y2K) "bug." In a perfect (if unintended) metaphor for the trouble on this front now confronting the Clinton Administration -- and, thanks in no small measure to its absence of "leadership" on the issue, the Nation -- the Post headline reads "Y2K Problem Poses Staffing Challenges for Agencies." Yet, the caption on an accompanying photograph quotes John Koskinen, the President's "czar" for the Millennium bug, as saying: "Y2K staffing 'has not turned out to be a major issue at this point, but we are continuing to monitor it.'" Shorthanded Unfortunately, the article proceeds to detail myriad examples that suggest ways in which personnel problems are seriously interfering with the government's Y2K remediation program. For example, the Post reports: "In the scramble to fix computers for the Year 2000, federal agencies have regularly complained that their technology experts were being lured away by better-paying jobs and that qualified contractors were difficult to find." "Of the 24 large agencies required to file quarterly or monthly Y2K progress reports, 13 expressed worries about their computer staffing or staff availability, according to a new General Accounting Office report." "[According to the GAO] four agencies - the departments of Agriculture, Justice and State and the Patent and Trademark Office - [are] facing [acute] Year 2000 staff woes: project delays because of high turnover among contractor staff and losses of skilled information technology employees through retirements and increased recruitment by private-sector companies." A 'Major Issue', Indeed Mr. Koskinen's reassurances notwithstanding, the anecdotal evidence of problems of ensuring compliance of the federal agencies is of great concern for several reasons: The government has historically had a much more difficult time than the private sector hiring and retaining qualified workers in a competitive job market. More often than not, the workers the government does retain have skill sets deemed unimpressive (read, unemployable) by the private sector. Given the complexity of undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the extent of the Y2K-associated staffing problems, anecdotal evidence is all there is to go on in calibrating the magnitude of such problems. It is a well known fact that over 80% of all large high technology projects are completed behind schedule. That the Clinton/Gore Administration continues to assert that the job -- arguably, the largest high technology project ever undertaken with an altogether inflexible deadline -- will be done on-time defies historical experience, to say nothing of common sense. Panic Prevention? The truth of the matter is that, even if the federal government were experiencing no personnel problems in preparing for the Y2K "bug," the Clinton Administration would still be dangerously "behind the power curve." After all, far and away the toughest part of insuring federal agency compliance with Y2K requirements will be the testing, re-remediation and retesting phases -- work that has scarcely even begun in most agencies. In fact, what seems to be going on here is less crisis management than panic management. Unfortunately, Czar Koskinen's wishful thinking about the staffing problem is not an isolated incident. In public speeches, media interviews and through other vehicles, he has consistently understated the magnitude of the problem while substantially overstating the government's preparedness for dealing with it.(1) Koskinen has plenty of company in the Clinton Administration, however. Indeed, even on the one occasion last July, when (after months of refusing to issue public warnings about the Y2K crisis) President Clinton and Vice President Gore finally used the "bully pulpit" to raise an alarm about this impending danger, they failed accurately to describe the severity of the problem. They also refused to take any responsibility for the significant contribution their lack of leadership to date has made to the Nation's Y2K unpreparedness -- and, therefore, to the likely intensity of the coming crisis.(2) The Bottom Line An insert next to the aforementioned Washington Post article on Y2K staffing issues reports the Federal Reserve plans to release some $30-50 billion in additional reserves late in 1999. The reason: to ensure banks will have sufficient money on hand to satisfy depositors who want to hold their savings in cash on the 1st of January 2000. As of April of this year, there was $3.6 trillion on deposit in U.S. banks. Those banks hold only some $49 billion in cash reserves. Thus, even with the additional funds available for withdrawal, banks will have at most only $2.70 for every $100 on deposit. The Clinton-Gore Administration is sorely mistaken if it believes a potentially cataclysmic socio-economic crisis will be avoided if it persists in misleading the American people. The only hope of preventing such a panic-driven outcome is for the administration to provide steady, honest leadership -- addressing candidly the unknown and greatly increasing the priority given by both the private and public sector to accelerating Y2K remediation and damage limitation efforts. - 30 - 1. See the Center's Decision Brief entitled At Last, Clinton-Gore Publicly Address Year 2000 Bug -- But Continue to Lowball Problem, Duck Responsibility For It (No. 98-C 132, 15 July 1998) and the Casey Institute's Perspective entitled New Theory For Clinton-Gore Silence on Y2K Emerges As N.P.R., Gingrich Offer Contrasting Views Of The Danger (No. 98-D 106, 12 June 1998). 2. See the Center's Decision Brief entitled At Last, Clinton-Gore Publicly Address Year 2000 Bug -- But Continue to Lowball Problem, Duck Responsibility For It (No. 98-C 132, 15 July 1998). NOTE: The Center's publications are intended to invigorate and enrich the debate on foreign policy and defense issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of all members of the Center's Board of Advisors. © 1988-1998, Center for Security Policy ----------------------- NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ----------------------- **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo(a)majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************

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IP: [FP] Scanner picks out criminals
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: "ScanThisNews" <mcdonalds(a)airnet.net> Subject: IP: [FP] Scanner picks out criminals Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 19:33:38 -0600 To: ignition-point(a)majordomo.pobox.com SCAN THIS NEWS 11/11/98 Some people will argue -- after reading the following article -- that systems designed to electronically "recognize" a face in a crowd will never be reliable. They will contend: such systems will never be 100% accurate. Unfortunately, "accuracy" is a very subjective term, and, if the administrators of these systems,(i.e. the ones who can forcibly apprehend the "identified" subjects), deem their system accurate, then the burden of "proving innocence" suddenly becomes that of the accused. At that moment, it no longer matters whether the system was or was not "accurate" -- you're under investigation. -----Original Message----- From: Y2kplanner(a)aol.com [mailto:Y2kplanner@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 1998 3:09 PM -------------------------- >From the 11/1/98 Sunday London Times www.sunday-times.co.uk - you must register at the site and then search by date. -------------------------- Scanner picks out criminals TRIALS of a computer system that can recognise criminals and terrorists begin this week. The equipment is to be hidden in an unnamed British airport to see if it can pick out criminals even if they have grown a beard or are wearing glasses to hide their identity. The system is the first that can produce three-dimensional scans of a face instantly and then search a database of suspects for a match. It has been devised by Cambridge Neurodynamics, which already produces software that analyses fingerprints and then searches a database for a match. Police in South Yorkshire use its software. Cambridge Neurodynamics says its facial-recognition project will enable security officers at Britain's ports and airports to concentrate on people the computer indicates bear a good likeness to known criminals and terrorists. The alternative is to rely on trained officers to remember faces of people on the wanted list. George Harpur, a Cambridge Neurodynamics systems consultant working on the project, says a computer will be able to store thousands of pictures of wanted people. "It should be like having an extra security officer with the most incredible memory," he says. "We're not intending to replace immigration officers but rather give them a tool that can point them towards the people they are mostly likely to be interested in." The system works by taking pictures of a person as he approaches a video camera. The resulting handful of frames give several two-dimensional pictures. To add depth to the face, two low-power lasers scan its contours from either side. A computer combines the contour information with the images it has of the front of the face. It can then build a virtual model of each traveller's face, which is checked against the database of wanted people. "The airport involved in the trial is particularly interested in the possibility of using the technology to track people who bring in groups of illegal immigrants," says Harpur. "The computer could be alerted to their presence and take a 3D scan of their faces when they pass through passport control. Then the system could track them every time they enter the country and build up evidence against them." The system can also be used to store 3D Photofits of terrorists. Again, it is most likely to be used to take a 3D scan of suspects when they pass through its lasers for the first time. The scan would be stored and the computer would log the suspect's movements. Cambridge Neurodynamics says it can build 3D Photofits from ordinary photographs or video stills but says the system is far more accurate if the suspects are photographed by the system. The team believes 3D scans are necessary because 2D technology can be fooled. It generally measures the distance between facial features but these can change with the angle of the head to the camera. The new computer system can be fooled only if a suspect has surgery to change the shape of his face. Criminals who realise they are about to be scanned and look away or pull a funny face will not trick the computer. It is geared towards seeking similarities around the eyes, which humans use to pick out one another and that do not change with expression and age as much as the rest of the face. The airport trial will last six weeks. If the equipment works, the company will load the software on a powerful workstation computer, rather than a PC, so searches can be speeded up. Cambridge Neurodynamics also plans to approach banks to set up a trial in which the computer would allow only designated staff into security-sensitive areas. Eventually, the technology could be used to verify a customer's identity before he is given money. ++++++++++++++ Nancy Martin y2kplanner(a)aol.com ======================================================================= Don't believe anything you read on the Net unless: 1) you can confirm it with another source, and/or 2) it is consistent with what you already know to be true. ======================================================================= Reply to: <fingerprint(a)networkusa.org> ======================================================================= To subscribe to the free Scan This News newsletter, send a message to <majordomo(a)efga.org> and type "subscribe scan" in the BODY. Or, to be removed type "unsubscribe scan" in the message BODY. For additional instructions see www.efga.org/about/maillist.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Scan This News" is Sponsored by S.C.A.N. Host of the "FIGHT THE FINGERPRINT!" web page: www.networkusa.org/fingerprint.shtml ======================================================================= **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo(a)majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************

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IP: ISPI Clips 6.33: Patent May Threaten E-Privacy
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: "Ama-gi ISPI" <Offshore(a)email.msn.com> Subject: IP: ISPI Clips 6.33: Patent May Threaten E-Privacy Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 00:08:59 -0800 To: <Undisclosed.Recipients(a)majordomo.pobox.com> ISPI Clips 6.33: Patent May Threaten E-Privacy News & Info from the Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues (ISPI) Thursday November 12, 1998 ISPI4Privacy(a)ama-gi.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This From: WIRED news, November 11, 1998 http://www.wired.com Patent May Threaten E-Privacy http://www.wired.com/news/print_version/technology/story/16180.html?wnpg=al l by Chris Oakes, chriso(a)wired.com The future of a key Web standard that would give consumers control over their online privacy hangs in the balance after news emerged that a entrepreneur will likely be awarded a set of patents on the technology. The technology, the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) is critical to the Internet industry's current effort to show the US government that it can look after the interests of consumers. The specification was to be used in the next versions of America Online, Netscape Communicator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and many other software products and Web sites. "If somebody owns [P3P], they can prevent other people from using it," said Deirdre Mulligan, staff counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology. "We put all this work into something that works, then who knows if it's going to get out there." At the core of the issue is one man, Drummond Reed, CEO of Intermind. Reed said that the US Patent and Trademark Office is expected to issue his company a patent on the idea of P3P. Intermind [ http://www.intermind.com/ ] was, until July, a member of the standards group that is collectively developing P3P. He resigned when word spread among the members that he would likely be awarded patents on technologies affecting a broad category of "automated information exchange using software objects." That sounds very much like P3P. The standard is meant to provide a way for consumers and the Web sites they visit to automatically negotiate what can and can't be done with any personal data collected by a site. The technology would reside within both Web browsers and Web sites. On a document [ http://www.intermind.com/W3CMembers/licensing_summary.htm ] on the Intermind Web site, Reed said that his company would request a minimum royalty of US$50,000 per year to a maximum of $2.5 million from companies implementing P3P, plus 1 percent of all revenues directly associated with the technology. Both Microsoft and Netscape declined to comment for this story. "P3P is the nuclear weapon of privacy," said Matt Markus, chief architect and cofounder of Privacy Bank, a company developing an automatic registration service that safeguards a user's privacy. Privacy Bank shifted its company strategy to lessen its dependence on P3P. Markus said he expects the patent will be revoked. "[The patent] is going to hurt young companies who want to help develop the solution," Markus said. "It is the snake in the grass, a complete surprise, it would really shoot the morale at my company if I was depending on [P3P]," he said. Reed acknowledges that some working group members want "to just crucify us" -- but he says his company has been up-front from the beginning that it has held intellectual property rights pertaining to P3P and other Web standards relating to "push" technology. "We have been in communication with the [Consortium] and working group members pretty much from the start," Reed said. "We've been in constant communication with W3C management and key member companies involved in this area." P3P is not yet a final standard, but progress in the World Wide Web Consortium working group has slowed since news of the pending patent seeped out in July, according to Steve Lucas, chief information officer for an Excite division that has been developing P3P-based software. "There are ways of working around P3P," he said. These include custom-made variations on the protocol that circumvent elements covered by the patent, and shifting work toward an older protocol known as the Open Profiling Standard. Lucas said companies are going ahead with work on P3P. But they are simultaneously making contingency plans should the patent have a stifling effect. If Drummond's pending patents stand, the thousands of companies doing business on the Internet could face new laws designed to protect the interests of consumers. The Federal Trade Commission, which would recommend such laws, has given the industry until the end of this year to demonstrate that it can "self-regulate," and P3P is key to that plan. "Some combination of the [P3P and Open Profiling Standard] technologies may be a more transparent way to protect consumers privacy," David Medine, an associate director at the Commission told Wired News earlier this year. Daniel Weitzner, who oversees the development of P3P at the World Wide Web Consortium, insists P3P development is still on track, but echoed the same concerns. "If anyone succeeds in extracting big licensing fees for P3P implementations, that would hamper the availability of the technology," he conceded. "Really the question turns on what happens with that patent." But working on ways to perform privacy negotiations without a standard presents a big obstacle to the industry. "Not having a standard everybody can agree on does create some interoperability problems," Lucas said. "This is a collaborative process about trying to develop socially useful protocols and now we have somebody walking away and saying they own it," added working group member Mulligan of the Center for Democracy and Technology. Weitzner said the issue now is not who said what when but what to do once the patents are issued. He declined to comment on the possibility of mistakes made in the past by W3C management. "The issue is whether or not the patent is valid, not who told what to whom or when," Weitzner said. "The concern I hear is about the attack on openness, not the timing." That issue -- how a patent might affect a Web standard -- is a new one for the W3C. "Our members have not had to face this issue because no one has had to try to stand in the way of openness in a way that Intermind appears to be doing...." The question now is "whether or not they're going to be able to hold up a standard that has a potentially significant social impact." James Glave contributed to this report. Copyright © 1994-98 Wired Digital Inc. --------------------------------NOTICE:------------------------------ ISPI Clips are news & opinion articles on privacy issues from all points of view; they are clipped from local, national and international newspapers, journals and magazines, etc. Inclusion as an ISPI Clip does not necessarily reflect an endorsement of the content or opinion by ISPI. In compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed free without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ISPI Clips is a FREE e-mail service from the "Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues" (ISPI). To receive "ISPI Clips" on a regular bases (up to 3 - 8 clips per day) send the following message "Please enter [Your Name] into the ISPI Clips list: [Your e-mail address]" to: ISPIClips(a)ama-gi.com . The Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues (ISPI) is a small contributor-funded organization based in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). ISPI operates on a not-for-profit basis, accepts no government funding and takes a global perspective. ISPI's mandate is to conduct & promote interdisciplinary research into electronic, personal and financial privacy with a view toward helping ordinary people understand the degree of privacy they have with respect to government, industry and each other and to likewise inform them about techniques to enhance their privacy. But, none of this can be accomplished without your kind and generous financial support. If you are concerned about the erosion of your privacy in general, won't you please help us continue this important work by becoming an "ISPI Supporter" or by taking out an institute Membership? We gratefully accept all contributions: Less than $60 ISPI Supporter $60 - $99 Primary ISPI Membership (1 year) $100 - $300 Senior ISPI Membership (2 years) More than $300 Executive Council Membership (life) Your ISPI "membership" contribution entitles you to receive "The ISPI Privacy Reporter" (our bi-monthly 12 page hard-copy newsletter in multi-contributor format) for the duration of your membership. For a contribution form with postal instructions please send the following message "ISPI Contribution Form" to ISPI4Privacy(a)ama-gi.com . We maintain a strict privacy policy. Any information you divulge to ISPI is kept in strict confidence. It will not be sold, lent or given away to any third party. **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo(a)majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************

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''FOR YOUR EYE'S ONLY"
by walt86＠hotmail.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Do you know who you're sleeping with? Do you know what your background report says? Who's Caring For Your Children? http://www.nation-search.com To unsubsribe from this list, both remove and undelverable. walt(a)nation-search.com

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y2k+nukes===???? (drudge)
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

------- Forwarded Message Subject: MILLENNIUM BUG POSES NUCLEAR WEAPONS RISK /Drudge MILLENNIUM BUG POSES NUCLEAR WEAPONS RISK The British American Security Information Council on Thursday is warning all world military powers to de-activate their weapons, to avoid possible "massive and hugely perilous systems failures" brought on by the so-called Millennium bug. The group singles out the United States, bluntly describing the Pentagon's efforts to meet the fast-approaching deadline as "a mess" -- with what it calls "severe and recurring problems across the spectrum." The INDEPENDENT newspaper in London on Thursday outlined the council's warning. "The biggest YK2 danger is not the ultimate nightmare of nuclear weapons either launching or exploding because of faulty computer information. Since it still requires human authorization for a missile or warhead to be launched, this sort of catastrophe is unrealistic. Far more likely, however, is the prospect of a leader, under pressure from hairtrigger response mechanisms, pressing the nuclear button on the basis of inaccurate data." The council would like to see world powers "separate warheads from their delivery vehicles" when the clocks flip 2000-- a move that would dramatically increase the amount of time needed to launch an attack. http://www.drudgereport.com/matt.htm - - -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.inannareturns.com "See God in Every Eye" --Inanna, Goddess of Love V.S. Ferguson author, Inanna Returns and Inanna Hyper-Luminal - - --------------79A25852320ABAABB431D8E6-- - ------- End of Forwarded Message ------- End of Forwarded Message

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IP: ISPI Clips 6.28: Wiretapping Internet Phone Lines
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: "Ama-gi ISPI" <Offshore(a)email.msn.com> Subject: IP: ISPI Clips 6.28: Wiretapping Internet Phone Lines Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 00:13:40 -0800 To: <Undisclosed.Recipients(a)majordomo.pobox.com> ISPI Clips 6.28: Wiretapping Internet Phone Lines News & Info from the Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues (ISPI) Wednesday November 11, 1998 ISPI4Privacy(a)ama-gi.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This From: WIRED News, November 10, 1998 http://www.wired.com Wiretapping Internet Phone Lines http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/16146.html by Declan McCullagh A federal wiretapping law designed to let police snoop on telephone calls could have profound implications for companies that offer Internet phone service. Then again, it might not affect them at all. The 1994 Digital Telephony law, which requires telecommunications companies to wire surveillance technology into their networks, could force Internet telephony firms to configure their systems to be easily wiretapped by law enforcement agencies. A Federal Communications Commission official, who declined to be identified, said the FCC is trying to decide how the law should apply to IP telephony and what types of Internet phone calls should be covered. In a report http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/1998/fcc98282.txt ] released Thursday, the FCC said the law applies to "packet-switching technology" that is "used to provide telecommunications services." "It's a major issue that has to be sorted out," said James Dempsey, senior staff counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology. "What side of the line does Internet telephony fall on? [Companies] should definitely wake up and pay attention." The wiretapping law, also known as the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, gave the FCC the authority to set standards and timetables. The agency said in September that companies must comply with CALEA by 30 June 2000. The FCC has tentatively ruled that IP telephony using computers is an "information service" and, therefore, not covered by CALEA. But the agency has also said that phone-to-phone IP telephony falls into the category of [ http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Reports/fcc98067.txt ]telecommu nications services. That category includes firms like IDT and Qwest, which allow long-distance customers to phone a local gateway and forward those calls over the Internet to a gateway at the other end. "I think, fundamentally, this is one of the sleeper issues that is going to be affecting the Internet telephony industry into the year 2000 and beyond," said Jeff Pulver, co-founder of the VON Coalition http://www.von.org/ ]. "We all need to be aware of what the legal issues are," Pulver said. "I'm all for what I call 'intelligent regulation.' If we need to comply, then damn it, we should comply. Ignorance is no excuse." "Internet telephony will eventually be included in CALEA," said Alyson Ziegler, director of legislative affairs for the United States Telephone Association [ http://www.usta.org/ ] "It's a matter of time." CALEA's backers say the law was designed to allow authorities to monitor conversations surreptitiously on digital phone lines just as they are now able to tap into analog phone lines. But privacy advocates oppose the measure, arguing that it expands the government's surveillance power. "This is something we've been warning about for years, that the convergence between these technologies will make the distinctions originally contemplated in CALEA ultimately moot," said David Banisar, a lawyer at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "CALEA will be applied to the Net regardless of what the intent of the law actually was." Even before CALEA became law, indications surfaced that law enforcement would like it to include the Internet. When asked about that possibility during a hearing in August 1994, FBI Director Louis Freeh replied, "It's certainly a possibility -- if, God forbid, someone blows up the World Trade Tower using a PC to PC network." Making an already prickly issue even thornier is the fact that some IP telephony companies use encryption to scramble conversations. NetSpeak, for example, uses RSA encryption [ http://www.netspeak.com/ ]. If two IP phone customers are using public key cryptography to chat in a way that even the IP telephony company can't decode, law enforcement agents are out of luck -- one reason why the FBI has lobbied to ban the manufacture and distribution of encryption devices without key escrow backdoors. Not all companies are complaining about CALEA. Aplio [ http://www.aplio.com/ ] CEO Olivier Zitoun believes his company's products fall into the FCC's definition of computer-to-computer IP telephony. Aplio sells boxes that can be plugged into normal touch-tone phones and used to call an Internet provider, which routes calls over the Net. "We are very different than other phone-to-phone devices or solutions," Zitoun said. "In a way, the discussion of IP-telephony regulation doesn't really apply to us." Copyright © 1994-98 Wired Digital Inc. --------------------------------NOTICE:------------------------------ ISPI Clips are news & opinion articles on privacy issues from all points of view; they are clipped from local, national and international newspapers, journals and magazines, etc. Inclusion as an ISPI Clip does not necessarily reflect an endorsement of the content or opinion by ISPI. In compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed free without profit or payment for non-profit research and educational purposes only. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ISPI Clips is a FREE e-mail service from the "Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues" (ISPI). To receive "ISPI Clips" on a regular bases (up to 3 - 8 clips per day) send the following message "Please enter [Your Name] into the ISPI Clips list: [Your e-mail address]" to: ISPIClips(a)ama-gi.com . The Institute for the Study of Privacy Issues (ISPI) is a small contributor-funded organization based in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). ISPI operates on a not-for-profit basis, accepts no government funding and takes a global perspective. ISPI's mandate is to conduct & promote interdisciplinary research into electronic, personal and financial privacy with a view toward helping ordinary people understand the degree of privacy they have with respect to government, industry and each other and to likewise inform them about techniques to enhance their privacy. But, none of this can be accomplished without your kind and generous financial support. If you are concerned about the erosion of your privacy in general, won't you please help us continue this important work by becoming an "ISPI Supporter" or by taking out an institute Membership? We gratefully accept all contributions: Less than $60 ISPI Supporter $60 - $99 Primary ISPI Membership (1 year) $100 - $300 Senior ISPI Membership (2 years) More than $300 Executive Council Membership (life) Your ISPI "membership" contribution entitles you to receive "The ISPI Privacy Reporter" (our bi-monthly 12 page hard-copy newsletter in multi-contributor format) for the duration of your membership. For a contribution form with postal instructions please send the following message "ISPI Contribution Form" to ISPI4Privacy(a)ama-gi.com . We maintain a strict privacy policy. Any information you divulge to ISPI is kept in strict confidence. It will not be sold, lent or given away to any third party. **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo(a)majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************

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Re: GOST
by Jim Gillogly 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Scoops writes: > I also remember a few weeks ago reports in the press and on the List of a > porn ring broken up and some agent involved saying that the some porn was > encrypted in an old KGB program which sounded much like GOST. I saw this report also, and took it to be a standard journalistic garble. It seems more likely to me that the package used by the child porn types was Kremlin, which produces .kgb files. -- Jim Gillogly Trewesday, 23 Blotmath S.R. 1998, 01:09 12.19.5.12.6, 11 Cimi 19 Zac, Third Lord of Night

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IP: Push for hearings on Echelon - Global spy system needs scrutiny, says rights group
by Vladimir Z. Nuri 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: believer(a)telepath.com Subject: IP: Push for hearings on Echelon - Global spy system needs scrutiny, says rights group Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 09:29:44 -0600 To: believer(a)telepath.com Source: WorldNetDaily http://www.WorldNetDaily.com/bluesky_exnews/19981112_xex_push_hearing.shtml Push for hearings on Echelon Global spy system needs scrutiny, says rights group By Stephan Archer Copyright 1998 WorldNetDaily.com In an effort to create some accountability between the country's citizens and the National Security Agency's top-secret global surveillance system known as Echelon, the Free Congress Foundation is urging that congressional hearings be held concerning the NSA's use of the system. Originally, Echelon was designed to spy on the Communist Bloc during the Cold War. However, since the end of the Cold War, the NSA has used it for other questionable purposes that include spying on the citizens of U.S. allies as well as the citizens of other countries, commercial spying, and even domestic spying. In essence, Echelon works through a series of high-tech spy facilities located primarily in five countries: the United States, Canada, England, New Zealand, and Australia. These countries, which are sworn to secrecy about the project in a secret agreement known as UKUSA, all actively take part in this encroachment of privacy into the lives of the people of the world by collecting virtually all fax transmissions, e-mails, and phone calls. Not even cellular phone calls escape the grasp of the Echelon system. "Obviously, we need to have these capabilities," said Wayne Madsen, who worked in the National COMSEC Assessment Center at the NSA's Fort Meade, Maryland, facility back in the 1980s and is currently a senior fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. As an example of our country's need for the system, Madsen said, "No one can argue about using the system to counter terrorism. Where people will have a problem is where Echelon is used for political and business interests." The Echelon system gets most of its data by collecting all transmissions handled by the Intelsat and Inmarsat satellites, which are responsible for much of the electronic communication that takes place between countries. Earth-bound communication is sucked up and absorbed by other spy satellites that the NSA has launched into space. "It's a huge vacuum cleaner," said Madsen. Once these spy facilities collect the phone calls, e-mails, and faxes, of virtually everyone on earth, the Echelon system sorts them through a kind of filter system known as the Echelon dictionary. This dictionary looks for "flag" words in all of the transmitted communication. While it lets a majority of all collected material pass through its filter, it tags those that may pose a threat and tracks all subsequent communication coming from the source of the original "flagged" message. Concerning Echelon's inherent intrusion on people's privacy, Patrick Poole, the deputy director for the Center of Technology Policy at the Free Congress Foundation, said, "While we understand the need for the intelligence power embodied by Echelon, the indiscriminate use of Echelon presents major threats to liberty not only to U.S. citizens but to citizens around the world." And this threat is real. The foundation's report states that U.S. leaders have, in fact, already abused this awesome technology. For example, the report states the following: "In September 1993, President Clinton asked the CIA to spy on Japanese auto manufacturers that were designing zero-emission cars and to forward that information to the Big Three U.S. car manufacturers: Ford, General Motors and Chrysler." "You can assume that all major U.S. corporations are fed items of interest (via Echelon) from time to time to give them a leg up on international competitors," said Madsen. Although this may be seen as a strategic corporate weapon for American businesses, in reality, it's an example of technology that can get out of hand. For example, former Canadian spy Mike Frost stated in his book, "Spyworld," that in 1981, there was an "accidental" cell phone intercept of the American ambassador to Canada that resulted in the U.S. getting outbid by the Canadians in a grain deal with China. The deal brought in $2.5 billion for the Canadian Wheat Board. With this kind of abuse of Echelon's power, the question as to whether or not the U.S. government has been using this power for political purposes can be easily raised. This question is seemingly answered in the foundation's report. "The discovery of domestic surveillance targeted at American civilians for reasons of 'unpopular' political affiliation -- or for no probable cause at all -- in violation of the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution is regularly impeded by very elaborate and complex legal arguments and privilege claims by the intelligence agencies and the U.S. government," the report says. When asked if the system has been used by the U.S. government to spy on its citizens, Madsen told WorldNetDaily that he was sure it has been. "I don't believe that the NSA or the current Administration would hesitate to use this system on American citizens for their own agendas," he said. Outraged by this flagrant abuse of power illustrated by our country's elected officials, Poole said, "While the U.S. is the prime mover behind the Echelon system, it's shameful that the European Parliament is the body holding the constitutional debate in regards to Echelon today." A September 1998 report for the European Parliament by the Omega Foundation said, "Within Europe, all e-mail, telephone, and fax communications are routinely intercepted by the United States National Security Agency. According to the Omega Foundation report, it is this ability of the NSA that brings major concern to the European Parliament. In an effort to bring the issues surrounding Echelon to the forefront of American politics, the Free Congress Foundation plans to send out a report about Echelon to all of the 500 policy organizations in the U.S. as well as to select members of Congress. These select individuals include members from both the House and Senate intelligence committees as well as House and Senate Constitution subcommittees. Copies of the report will also be sent to the congressional leadership of both parties. Although the foundation is hoping to get some action out of these members of Congress, Poole said that support at the grassroots level of our nation's political structure will be a must if this issue isn't to end up buried by the intelligence committees. "For there to be any account and oversight to the Echelon system, the American people are going to have to contact their elected representatives in order to investigate the abuses that we know have occurred in regards to the Echelon system," Poole said. See Free Congress Foundation's report on Echelon. © 1998 Western Journalism Center ----------------------- NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ----------------------- **************************************************** To subscribe or unsubscribe, email: majordomo(a)majordomo.pobox.com with the message: (un)subscribe ignition-point email@address or (un)subscribe ignition-point-digest email@address **************************************************** www.telepath.com/believer ****************************************************

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