December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Silly Shrinkwrapped Encryption
by Eric Cordian 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Could someone poke through Lotus Notes with a debugger and see exactly how this "giving 24 bits to the government" is implemented? Most commercial software simply introduces redundancy in order to limit the keyspace to 40 bits, regardless of the advertised length of the key. This claim that they deliver 64 bits of key to the customer seems a bit bogus. Of course, they could have done something clever, like generating a completely random 64 bit key, and then encrypting 24 bits of it with a giant government-owned RSA public key, and including this additional information with each message. However, it seems unlikely that they would employ such strong encryption for message recovery, while offering only 64 bits for message encryption. Is Lotus Notes encryption documented anywhere? Are the differences between the export and domestic versions disclosed to overseas customers? -- Eric Michael Cordian 0+ O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"

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Governments want to change Net architecture, from Comm Daily
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 07:44:57 -0800 (PST) >From: Declan McCullagh <declan(a)well.com> >To: politech(a)vorlon.mit.edu >Subject: FC: Governments want to change Net architecture, from Comm Daily >MIME-Version: 1.0 >Sender: owner-politech(a)vorlon.mit.edu >Reply-To: declan(a)well.com >X-Loop: politech(a)vorlon.mit.edu >X-URL: Politech is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/ > >[Apologies to Art for not forwarding this earlier. --Declan] > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 10:28:49 -0500 >From: Art Brodsky <arb(a)well.com> >To: declan(a)smtp.well.com >Subject: comm daily story > >Declan, > Here's the story from Comm Daily, Dec. 17 > >'Optimistic and Damned Silly' > > INTERNET CHANGE FOCUS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT > > Law enforcement officials of U.S. and 7 other industrialized >countries want to make fundamental changes in Internet technology >in order to aid in their ability to track and catch criminals, >Justice Dept. sources said. > > Program to consider changes in Internet architectures comes as >part of agreement announced last week by Attorney Gen. Janet Reno >and Justice ministers from around world after meeting in Washington >(CD Dec 11 p10). However, one leading Internet authority, MCI >Senior Vp Vinton Cerf, said international group's plan wouldn't >work. > > Justice ministers are considering approach similar to that of >Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) program in >U.S., which would make traffic from advanced telecom networks more >accessible to law enforcement entities. Representatives of Canada, >France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and U.K., as well as U.S., >agreed as part of "statement of principles" issued in communique >following 2-day session that: "To the extent practicable, >information and telecommunications systems should be designed to >help prevent and detect network abuse, and should also facilitate >the tracing of criminals and the collection of evidence." Several >items on "action plan" issued in support of those principles refer >to working with new technologies to collect critical evidence, >developing standards for authenticating electronic data for use in >investigations and encouraging standards-making bodies to provide >public and private sectors "with standards for reliable and secure >telecommunications and data processing technologies." > > DoJ officials said Dept. may want to talk later with telephone >industry on trap and trace issues, but it's premature to involve >them now in follow-up to international summit. Instead, they said, >they are looking at broader picture of telecom networks that >haven't worked as closely with law enforcement as they could, and >have begun thinking about Internet protocols. Internet operates >globally with common protocols, currently Internet Protocol version >4. Internet engineers are working on next iteration, version IPv6 >(Internet Protocol version 6 -- 5 was experimental attempt that was >dropped). Justice official said that one problem now is that it's >easy to send and receive e-mail with false address, called >"spoofing." > > It would be helpful to law enforcement if information sent >over Internet were tagged, and packets would transmit information >reliably as to where they came from, including user and service >provider, officials said. Loose analogy would be to compare e-mail >messages to tagging of explosives, so law enforcement can track >explosive material to its source. DoJ said new protocols could be >designed to make it easier to authenticate messages and to make >system more reliable. Law enforcement wants to work with industry >to accomplish goal, saying it would help "keep people who are >abusing information technologies from continuing to do it." > > There will be substantial obstacles to law enforcement >concept, however. Not least of them is that IPv6 will include >sophisticated encryption capabilities as part of protocols. Such >security isn't built in to Internet now, one of reasons why >electronic commerce has yet to take off, said Mark McFadden, >communications dir. for Commercial Internet eXchange Assn. (CIX). >That feature will make it harder for law enforcement to gain access >to information, he said. > > Cerf, co-inventor of Internet protocols, said in interview >that law enforcement's concept of tagging e-mail messages wouldn't >work: "To imagine that we would instantly create the >infrastructure for that throughout the entire Internet strikes me >as optimistic and damned silly, at least in the short term. Anyone >who anticipates using tools to guarantee that everything will be >traceable is not going to have a successful outcome." Technically, >such project could be accomplished, Cerf said, but having >administrative infrastructure to administer it is quite different >issue. > > It's possible to have digital signature for every packet of >data, but it would take "an enormous amount of processing, and it's >not clear we have any network computers and routers that could do >that and maintain the traffic flow that's required," Cerf said. It >also would require that each sender affix digital signature to each >piece of mail, idea that Cerf said couldn't be enforced: "Frankly, >the idea of trying to guarantee traceability of that kind is far >from implementable." He said he didn't want to be misunderstood >that his objections were "an argument in favor of criminality." >But Cerf said he worries that "someone relies on what they think is >a technical solution without recognizing all of the administrative >mechanics that need to be put in place." > > Law enforcement has some time to work with Internet community. >McFadden said IPv6 isn't scheduled to be implemented at consumer >level for at least 5 years, possibly as much as 10. There was some >urgency when it appeared that reservoir of Internet addresses would >dry up, but with progress being made to protect addresses as scarce >resource there's less pressure for new set of protocols, he said. > > >posted with permission Warren Publishing > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology >To subscribe: send a message to majordomo(a)vorlon.mit.edu with this text: >subscribe politech >More information is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/ >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >

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Re: Silly Shrinkwrapped Encryption
by jim＠mentat.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Eric Cordian says: > Could someone poke through Lotus Notes with a debugger and see exactly how > this "giving 24 bits to the government" is implemented? Lotus produced a "backgrounder" called "Differential Workfactor Cryptography" when they first promulgated the 64/40 stuff. It says (in part): We do that by encrypting 24 of the 64 bits under a public RSA key provided by the U.S. government and binding the encrypted partial key to the encrypted data. I haven't seen the USG RSA key -- if it's 512 bits, that would be a humorous next factoring target. Jim Gillogly 15 Afteryule S.R. 1998, 20:02 12.19.4.14.15, 12 Men 13 Kankin, Seventh Lord of Night

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Seeking Environmentally Friendly People ?
by tozumi44＠msn.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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Rep. Sonny Bono (R-California) dies at 62
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

************ http://cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/afternoon/0,1012,1670,00.html The Netly News / Afternoon Line January 6, 1998 When Sonny Turns to Blue Rep. Sonny Bono, a Congressman better known for his songwriting than his lawmaking, died yesterday in a skiing accident. He was 62. Bono built his show-biz career on being the butt of Cher's jokes and found that he played a similar role in Washington, a town where self-deprecation is reviled, not admired. Washingtonian magazine once dubbed him the dumbest member of Congress, and commentators criticized his informal approach to lawmaking on the buttoned-down House Judiciary committee, on which the California Republican tackled Internet legislation. Early last year he staunchly opposed the FBI's demands for increased government snooping power but then backed down. He told me in September that at first he had not been "aware" of the details surrounding the encryption debate and there are others "we have to be concerned about." Bono also sponsored H.R. 1621 and H.R. 2589, two copyright extension bills currently being considered by Congress. --Declan McCullagh/Washington

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UNSUBSCRIBE CYPHERPUNKS-ANNOUNCE
by Brian＠HyperSoft.Net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

UNSUBSCRIBE CYPHERPUNKS-ANNOUNCE

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YAIPC (Yet Another Internet Policy Conference, 2/98)
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 14:30:57 -0500 From: Ben Isaacson <ben(a)interactivehq.org> To: "'declan(a)well.com'" <declan(a)well.com> Subject: Would you consider forwarding this as well? --> WashingtonWeb Internet Policy Forum More info at http://www.washingtonweb.org and http://www.interactivehq.org Interactive Industry Leaders and Top Policy Makers to Meet at WashingtonWeb Internet Policy Forum Washington, DC -- With the mounting interest of Washington in the Internet, key policy makers and Internet industry executives will come together for a strategic discussion about the impact of politics on the Internet. Sponsored by the Association for Interactive Media, the WashingtonWeb Internet Policy Forum, February 9 and 10, 1998, is the premier top-level meeting between the Washington policy community and the leaders of the new media industry. "Internet executives and government officials come from very different backgrounds. There needs to be an on- going dialogue between the users and regulators of this powerful medium in order to ensure that businesses may continue to grow and serve the public. The WashingtonWeb Internet Policy Forum is designed to facilitate this discussion," said Andy Sernovitz, President of the Association for Interactive Media. Currently, over 300 Members of Congress have co- sponsored bills regulating interactive businesses. Federal regulatory agencies including the FCC, FTC, NTIA, Treasury, Federal Reserve, White House Office of Technology Assessment, and the Patent and Trademark Office, are considering new legislation and regulation. Commerce on the Net will be forever shaped by the dozens of bills, regulations, and policy directives that are already on the table. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with the very legislators and regulators who will make these decisions. A partial list of topics to be discussed at WashingtonWeb include: Pending Legislation and Regulation: The Industry Response; Potential Expansion of FTC and FCC Jurisdictions; Taxing the Internet; Beltway Wonks vs. Web Gurus; Consumer Concerns and Industry Self-Regulation. Speakers (to date) include: Representative Rick Boucher; Adam Theirer, Heritage Foundation; Adam Clayton Powell III, The Freedom Forum; Pete DuPont, IntellectualCapital.com.; Robin Raskin, Editor & Publisher, Family PC Magazine; Kenneth Dotson, CBS Sportsline; and Gordon Ross, NetNanny. Sponsors include: Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Policy.com, CNN/Time All Politics, Net Nanny, IntellectualCapital.com, and Exodus Communications. The WashingtonWeb Internet Policy Forum will be held February 9 and 10, 1998, at the Willard intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC. CONTACT: Andy Dotson Association for Interactive Media 202-408-0008 andy(a)interactivehq.org http://www.washingtonweb.org ___________________________________________________ This message was sent to you because your company is a member of the Association for Interactive Media. Visit our web site: http://www.interactivehq.org AIM never releases email addresses to third parties. To SUBSCRIBE or CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS, email a note to yasha(a)interactivehq.org To UNSUBSCRIBE, forward this message to: unsubscribe-members(a)lists.interactivehq.org [staff(a)interactivehq.org] ___END____________________________________________ List server provided by Lyris -- http://www.lyris.com

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Question on U.S. Postal Service and crypto
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

This is for a story for Time on the "new" U.S .Postal Service. I vaguely recall the USPS trying to set digital signature standards and/or serve as a CA. I'd like to mention this. Can't remember the details, though. Does anyone have 'em (or a pointer to them) handy? -Declan

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The Digital Society Group
by jalonz＠openworld.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hi all, Openworld, Inc. is a company which sets up free enterprise zones around the world. The "free zones" are akin to Hong Kong and Singapore and are self-governing, independent entities as recognized by the parent country. Free zones usually have the ability to issue citizenship, business licenses and incorporation status to entities as well as have their own police force and arbitration structure. A lot of them are not nearly big enough to need that kind of independence, but there are a few. Free zones rarely have bureacracy, taxes, etc. because the idea is to create an environment for the rapid creation and deployment of new businesses. Land is leased for 50-100 years with a parent entity buy-back at the end of the term. Can anyone say corporate state? Basically, free zones are corporations (or groups of) leasing land from a country in order to make it valuable enough to sell back at a large profit in 100 years. Notice that the emphasis is on very long-term results. The free zone only makes money if the residents are happy, educated and making money. Environmental issues are addressed immediately. There is no bureacracy to hold things back. I'll be the first to agree that a corporate state is very easy to abuse (soon the world could end up being a Microsoft corporate state <joke>). But you have to start somewhere. Most of these zones are created in third world countries and poorly developed areas. Free zones are exempt from telecommunications monopolies so the bandwidth and connection fees are at regular US wholesale market rates. When you consider that the economy is moving to be information and bandwidth dependent, and the main thing holding a new country back is the cost of a satellite feed, a free zone has enormous impact on the growth of an area. It is a bit mind-boggling to realize what the marriage of a free economic zone and the Internet can accomplish. Openworld, Inc. is developing drop-in modules for health, education, business and governance functions for free zones as well as Internet connectivity and infrastructures. A division of Openworld, Inc., The Digital Society Group, has been formed to apply technology to the infrastructure of the free zones and essentially mirror them in cyberspace <argh, the cyber word again>. Without getting into too much detail, The Digital Society Group is constructing a pure-technology infrastructure to provide for the operation, governance and existence of a complete digital society within a free enterprise zone. My priorities are: 1. encryption for all 2. anonymity for all 3. digital currency for all 4. the ability for the creation of ad-hoc micro-communities by citizens more or less on-the-fly 5. the ability for any entity - hardware, software, etc. to be a citizen and be entitled to certain rights such as property ownership, incorporation,etc. (the legislation is being written right now) 6. do it very, very cheaply and give it to the end-user (the world) for free. Check out: http://www.openworld.com/digitalsociety Sorry about the sparse web pages and the crappy graphics, but there is no money for a graphics designer. Locations are planned for Africa, Southeast Asia, Russia, etc. We are already coding... :) Jalon --------------------------------------------------------------- Jalon Q. Zimmerman, Director The Digital Society Group A division of Openworld, Inc. http://www.openworld.com/digitalsociety jalonz(a)openworld.com --------------------------------------------------------------- The government is not your mommy. ---------------------------------------------------------------

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Digital Societies, Guns, and AP
by Blanc 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The conversations on guns, Wei Dai's statement "if we can defend ourselves with guns, why would we need crypto?", and this idea on Digital Societies, brings up a consideration: in the new digital age of anonymity, independent psyops ("psychological operations"; never heard of "psychops"), potential AP arrangements, etc., when governments are made obsolete sometime Real Soon, and people have to depend more and more upon their own resources, how will individuals defend themselves from _immediate_ physical aggression, if not by having their own personal stock pile of weapons and ammo, since they can't call upon the Centralized Gun & Ammo Depot? I remember an article in a book by Ayn Rand, on "Competing Governments", where she said that having services provided by more than one such defense service would create many problems, and provided arguments against the feasability of such arrangements. I know there have been references on the list in the past about some civilization along time ago which existed in Iceland which dealt with this, but I haven't got around to reading about it (can someone provide a book reference?). .. Blanc

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