December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Probabilistic Encryption
by gtoal＠an-teallach.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

: > How secure do you guys think Probabilistic encryption using a BBS generator : > is? It looks like its every bit as good for key exchanges as RSA and somewhat : > better because of its speed. : The technique you mention is not one I've heard of. What is a BBS : generator? Could you please explain? BBS is Blum-Blum-Shub, a cryptographically strong RNG I believe. (Haven't looked at it personally). How he plans using this in some way to get the effect of an RSA public key system I have no idea. I hope we're not about to get the usual kiddy PRNG exor encryption lecture. Some of the things the guy said suggested maybe he does know what he's talking about, but his writing style isn't inspiring. Clue for the guy: other people haven't the foggiest idea about what has been going round in your head for the last year. Try to give some context and set the scene in more general terms before you dive into conjectures. Otherwise you risk sounding slightly detached from reality, as in the expression "So what color's the sky in _your_ world, then?"... It may well be you've something useful to say, but if you don't say it in the text one or two postings, you're in danger of slipping into my mental kill-file mode where I gloss over your postings without reading them properly. I suspect others read cpunks mail in a similar fashion. G

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Announcement: PGS v0.99d
by ER CRAMER 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Ok, I know that v0.99c was just released a week ago... But hey, We had some spare time before our hollidays so we fixed some stuff and here is the result: PGS v0.99d. This version will be able to read the keysize of all keys. And gives a nice statement in the information window that we CAN'T build the fingerprint of keys that have been generated using a non-default exponent size. So, no trash fingerprints anymore I hope... Because v0.99c was just released a week ago I kept the 099c.new file in the archive so you can still check out what's new there... PGS v0.99d can be found right now at: wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4):/pub/msdos_uploads/pgs/pgs099d.zip And at the beginning of next week at: oak.oakland.edu (141.210.10.117):/SimTel/security/pgs099d.zip - -- ... If you outlaw Privacy, only Outlaws will have Privacy! Eelco Cramer <crame001(a)hio.tem.nhl.nl> ------ - -------------------------------------------------- - -- ... If you outlaw Privacy, only Outlaws will have Privacy! Eelco Cramer <crame001(a)hio.tem.nhl.nl> ------ - -------------------------------------------------- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6 iQCVAgUBLiZgwYDAdPKe9hHLAQHymAP+Ieil7M7It18ItDYUI/odC3eU45HB3Tnk F8c7KlhTvaTCmHeeeVglm6CvFq40M1rCdBgDhB3LVLLGbCg2SKEVcJDextWw1aLN DoEiu05Kxkk17AE0Txo2Lp6DqyIrMmnYoyHvqCLEsU/h7heVADZhepKeV89zf+qQ x84ZTQ1m8d0= =sAKM -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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RE: PGP bastardization
by nobody＠shell.portal.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> You may be correct in that Phil Zimmermann has no legal > recourse, but I counldn't say for sure. I am more concerned > with the ethical issues. What have you called your new > super-duper pgp? If you make it abundantly clear that it is > *your* hack of pgp, and not supported in any way by RSA, MIT, or > prz, I personally wouldn't have a problem with it. Isn't it ironic, though, that Phil Zimmerman was the victim of a similar accusation by PKP/RSA -- "pirating" code? IMHO, that's also who the person who released this new version really needs to worry about. If they modified PGP 2.3a code, then they're in the same boat as PRZ if they distribute it. The GPL only covers PRZ's (and Colin Plumb's) code, not the RSA routines. Also, I wonder whether the RSAREF license on 2.6 is valid for modified versions? Geeez! If it's just the name, then call this newest version "TAP" for "Totally Awesome Privacy", or something similar. Just so the "look and feel" are the same. Nothing would stop the end user from renaming it from TAP.EXE to PGP.EXE, of course... <g> I can sympathize with PRZ in wanting to protect his "baby" from the hackings of "unwashed Philistines" or whatever, but had he taken that attitude regarding the original RSA code, PGP might never have come about.

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Re: Key length security (calculations!)
by frissell＠panix.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 03:28 AM 7/15/94 EDT, solman(a)MIT.EDU wrote: >The bottom line is that NSA has demonstrated that they can outperform >academia without public reviews of their method (LEAFs aside for the >moment [government agencies are after all required to do several stupid >things each year]) > That is, they were able to out-perform the private sector when there was no economic value in cryptography so no one (save them) had any incentive to practice it. Since crypto gained enormous economic value (for compression and general bit manipulation as well as system security) they are unlikely to be able to keep up. Note the Market vs the Feds in electronics. They tend to buy most of their stuff from us these days. DCF

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Re: National ID cards are just the driver's licenses on the Information
by frissell＠panix.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 05:00 PM 7/14/94 -0400, Perry E. Metzger wrote: >The following is worth mentioning: market forces will eventually >destroy virtually all controls. However, as the Soviet Union showed, >millions of people can be made miserable or killed in the meanwhile. >Perry > Actually, in the G-7 countries, the rulers are in a more exposed and vulnerable position than the ruled. They are juicy opposition targets, while we can slip (and SLIP) through the cracks. They can't. They must by their nature be exposed. DCF "The Market *is* the river." -- New Taoism for a New Age

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Where do Extropians live?
by D.C. Williams 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I'd appreciate a pointer to the extropians-request address (email or post at your discretion). TIA. =D.C. Williams dcwill(a)ee.unr.edu

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National I.D. Cards
by Brian D Williams 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- It would seem we are missing a point about having National I.D. cards. The rest of the world seems ready to rush in and adopt some form of "Clipper" chips to monitor their own citizens. (There doing it in the U.S.!) Do we really doubt they will adopt "The Card" as well? (don't leave home without it!) Step 2: International I.D. Cards...... Can you say "New World Order?" Sure you can....... Brian Williams Extropian Cypherpatriot "Cryptocosmology: Sufficently advanced communication is indistinguishable from noise." --Steve Witham "Have you ever had your phones tapped by the government? YOU WILL and the company that'll bring it to you.... AT&T" --James Speth -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.3a iQCVAgUBLiWevNCcBnAsu2t1AQGhTQP/dOf1vfVoUs2wfXz70lPQ6WkwePzQCUPA prtlzzhJaJllobpM9cKUDL3x1Zx8BCV9+ebcgaZ62xDDHoGtK6K9l8RAPy/x5m5p QA+vV3Jgi0qI9UKRx4MOozaH6O2FhU6+4QgfWgE270yd4gv69cRHTEaiSB9Nfd7T KUvrt0g5b2c= =3fAd -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: National ID Card Info Request...
by frissell＠panix.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 09:47 AM 7/15/94 -0500, Jim choate wrote: >I would appreciate some kind sould e-mailing me the bill name which has >this in it. > >Take care. There is no bill as far as I know. At least not one very far along in the legislative process. Of course, the Health Security Act does include mandatory Worker's ID cards (your employer needs one to sign you up with your Health Alliance). DCF "The Health Security Act - the most expensive government program in the history of mankind: $1,000,000,000,000/year in total government spending $600,000,000,000/year in *new* government spending (& taxes)"

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Re: ID card from hell
by frissell＠panix.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>I basically agree with Duncan's noble sentiments. I just don't think >it likely that the "What about the tourists?" argument will stop the >national ID juggernaut once it begins to move. > The grim necessity of working for a living precludes a proper answer at this time. For now though: "You can buy heroin in maximum security prisons." Controls don't always work. DCF "Eudora for Windows addict since approximately 9:05 this morning."

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tran.shar
by Carl Ellison 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

BTW, it *was* at ftp.std.com -- but now I have it here, to e-mail to people who ask for it. (Sorry for the multiple messages.) - Carl

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