December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Bullshit RE: HACKERS SMASH U.S. GOVERNMENT ENCRYPTION
by ARTURO GRAPA YSUNZA 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I actually got a kick out of reading the bullshit in the press release. >Oakland, California (June 18, 1997)-The 56-bit DES encryption >standard, long claimed "adequate" by the U.S. Government, was >shattered yesterday using an ordinary Pentium personal computer Actually it was more than 70,000 clients working together > "That DES can be broken so quickly should send a chill through the >heart of anyone relying on it for secure communications," I'm shitting bricks. No mention was made that only 25% of the keyspace was tested. >"Unfortunately, most people today... Unfortunately some companies depend on BS to sell products. Glad to see C2Net is no different, [Rest of the noise removed] You should have given credit to DESCHALL whose effort is be applauded.

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Re: [EFGA] WE won our court case!! (fwd)
by Jim Choate 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Forwarded message: > From: "Robert A. Costner" <pooh(a)efga.org> > Subject: Re: [EFGA] WE won our court case!! (fwd) > Reasonable men adapt to match the world around them. Unreasonable men try to > adapt the world to themselves. Therefore, only unreasonable men bring about > change in the world. I may be unreasonable, but I'm not pathetic. This is an interesting insight into the underpinnings of a democracy or republic. The secret to success and ultimate limitation of government authority is people standing up and saying "Hell NO!, I won't take it any more." In short, for democracy (any democracy I suspect) to work it REQUIRES people being unwilling to compromise. So many people labor under the impression that compromise is how they get to where they want to be. Very successful indoctrination I suspect... ____________________________________________________________________ | | | _____ The Armadillo Group | | ,::////;::-. Austin, Tx. USA | | /:'///// ``::>/|/ http:// www.ssz.com/ | | .', |||| `/( e\ | | -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- Jim Choate | | ravage(a)ssz.com | | 512-451-7087 | |____________________________________________________________________|

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Feinstein Amendment Text
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Senator Feinstein's office has provided a copy of her S.936 amendment which passed yersterday 94 to 0 "to prohibit the distribution of certain information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction." http://jya.com/fein-sp419.htm (5K) Via links in the file, the amendment may be compared to earlier draft versions and debate as well as for the effect of the recent Justice Department report on its language.

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PGP Crack Challenge Announced
by C.J. Parker 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Pearl Harbor Computers has announced the "PGP Crack Challenge" with a prize of $10,000.00 for the first person to decrypt a PGP cyphertext file which reveals the location of the Jews being hidden by anarchistic CypherPunks. Despite the best efforts of the U.S. legislative bodies and secret government comittees, the danger remains that outlaw cryptographers will be able to illegally avoid future Government Access to Keys legislation and prevent law enforcement agencies from being able to read their communications through use of strong, non-GAKed crypto. Imagine the burden that would have resulted if strong crypto had prevented the German Gestapo from accessing information needed to meet the legitimate needs of law enforcement during World War II. Pearl Harbor Computers will post a file called "hidejews.asc" to the CypherPunks list in the near future. It will use 2048 bit PGP 5.0 encryption signed with Pearl Harbor Computers secret key. In order to win, whoever decrypts the message must post their results to the cypherpunks list, signed with their secret key. The $10,000.00 prize will be paid in the equivalent of removed gold tooth-fillings held in escrow in safety deposit boxes in a secure Swiss bank. C.J. Parker, President, Pearl Harbor Computers "We've been bombed since 1941"

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Mykotronx builds Fortezza/DES card
by John Gilmore 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

This is great -- they've put TWO insecure crypto algorithms on one PCMCIA card! Mykotronx leads the industry, as usual! John :-) Rainbow subsidiary Mykotronx and Western Datacom announce joint development of industry's first dual-mode cryptographic modem -- FORDESZA Business Wire - June 17, 1997 09:03 MYKOTRONX WESTERN-DATACOM RNBO %CALIFORNIA %DISTRICT %OF %COLUMBIA %INTERACTIVE %MULTIMEDIA %INTERNET %COMED %COMPUTERS %ELECTRONICS %PRODUCT %TRADESHOW V%BW P%BW TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 17, 1997--Mykotronx Inc., a subsidiary of Rainbow Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:RNBO), and Western Datacom have announced joint development of FORDESZA, a Type II PCMCIA PC modem card that provides both DES and FORTEZZA-based encryption and decryption in a single unit. FORDESZA, the first dual-mode cryptographic device designed for the commercial marketplace, integrates a FORTEZZA cryptographic chip manufactured by Mykotronx with 56-bit DES encryption. ``Mykotronx' collaboration with Western Datacom further demonstrates the company's commitment to providing the highest-quality cryptographic solutions for secure data communications,'' said John Droge, vice president of product development for Mykotronx. ``The first of its kind, FORDESZA is a state-of-the-art modem design that delivers both high connection speed and quality cryptographic protection.'' ``Western Datacom is pleased to be working with Mykotronx on the development of FORDESZA,'' said Phil Ardire, president of Western Datacom. ``Western Datacom and Mykotronx have combined their respective expertise to create a breakthrough cryptographic security product to support users' need for secure communication.'' Functioning as a V.34 bis 33,600 bps modem, FORDESZA operates as a FORTEZZA Crypto Card, a FORTEZZA encryptor/decryptor with a V.34 bis modem and as a DES encryptor/decryptor with a V.34 bis modem. FORDESZA will incorporate all security features previously developed for FORTEZZA, including personal identification numbers (PINs) for user authentication; the digital signature standard (DSS) for originator authentication; the key exchange algorithm (KEA) for Diffie-Hellman variant public key exchange; FORTEZZA and DES encryption; and the secure hash algorithm (SHA) for data integrity. FORDESZA accomplishes key management via both a certification authority workstation (CAW) and a FIPS 171-compliant software system. The CAW operates FORTEZZA card initialization software to program the modem with the user's distinguished name (DN) and public key information stored in X.509 certificates. A distributed database, called the directory system agent (DSA), handles the storage and distribution of these keys. For DES key management, the FIPS 171 software, which is compatible with existing Western Datacom DES-based products, accommodates private key changes and management of DES encryptors. FORTEZZA encryption has been accepted by the Department of Commerce's key recovery program. Encryption keys can now be kept by an approved third party, with copies available to law-enforcement agencies only under a court order. For more information about FORDESZA, contact Mykotronx at 310/533-8100 (fax 310/533-0527) or Western Datacom at 216/835-1510 (e-mail: wdc(a)western-data.com) With headquarters in Torrance, Mykotronx is a world leader in providing high-grade encryption and decryption equipment essential for use in space and other sensitive digital communication environments. Founded in 1979, and acquired by Rainbow Technologies in 1995, Mykotronx has more National Security Agency approved products than any other corporation. Demonstrating the company's commitment to quality, Mykotronx designs and manufactures products that meet the requirements of MIL-Q-9858 A (``Quality Program Requirements'') and MIL-I-45208 (``Inspection System Requirements''). Rainbow Technologies, with 1996 revenues in excess of $81 million, is a leading supplier of software-protection, license-management and Internet-security products worldwide. Rainbow has offices in the United States, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom, and is ISO-9002 certified. CONTACT: Rainbow Technologies Inc. Ann Jones, 714/450-7350 ajones(a)rnbo.com or Bock Communications Inc. Valerie Christopherson/Brian Bardwell, 714/374-3530 vchristopherson(a)msn.com REPEATS: New York 212-752-9600 or 800-221-2462; Boston 617-236-4266 or 800-225-2030; SF 415-986-4422 or 800-227-0845; LA 310-820-9473 All content is compiled from a variety of sources by News Alert and provided as a service of PC Quote. See important copyright information. Refresh your screen often for the latest information. © 1997 News Alert Inc.

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[Noise] Random thought...
by Alan 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

With all of the "punish the evildoers amongst us" and the "Improving Security by making it illegal" raving in congress, this came to mind... "The Congressional Definition of the Strength of a Firewall is how many times you can march the citizenry in front of it for summary execution before it crumbles." You may now go back to the regularly scheduled panic. alano(a)teleport.com | "Those who are without history are doomed to retype it."

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Re: Fw: Advance Bank launches ecash
by Wayne Clerke 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> >>>>>Thank you for being so patient. ecash is now available from our web site >>>>>at: http//www.advance.com.au/ecash > >>Tim May <tcmay(a)got.net> wrote: >>>No mention of "untraceable" or "anonymous" or "Chaum." And no mention of >>>"Digicash," except in your (Wayne's) introduction; Digicash is, rightly or >>>wrongly, a trademark of the company with the same name. > >If there _wasn't_ any mention of those, there certainly is now :-) >The right-hand frame, after the pictures of PCs and dollar signs and logos, >has copyright notices, trademark notice for "ecash", and the addresses >and URLs for Advance Bank Australia Ltd. and Digicash BV in the Netherlands. > >And the "Support" page has the following URLs: > For more ecash info, refer to the DigiCash Web Site: > Who are DigiCash? > Digital Signatures and Smart Cards > Numbers that are money > It seems I haven't been paying enough attention lately ... just visited www.digicash.com and discovered Advance is only one of several new banks offering (or about to offer ecash). > ># Thanks; Bill ># Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com ># You can get PGP outside the US at ftp.ox.ac.uk/pub/crypto/pgp ># (If this is a mailing list or news, please Cc: me on replies. Thanks.) > Regards, Mail: <a href=mailto:wclerke@emirates.net.ae>Wayne Clerke</a> PGP key ID: AEB2546D FP: D663D11E DA19D74F 5032DC7E E001B702 PGP mail welcome. Voice: +971 506 43 48 53 If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.

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Re: (Fwd) New crypto bill clears committee
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- begin forwarded text X-Authentication-Warning: fma66.fma.com: majordomo set sender to owner-espam(a)lists.espace.net using -f X-Orig-From: Robert Hettinga <rah(a)shipwright.com> X-e$pam-source: owner-cryptography(a)c2.net X-Sender: rah(a)atanda.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 17:00:33 -0400 To: espam(a)intertrader.com, e$pam <e$pam(a)atanda.com> From: Robert Hettinga <rah(a)shipwright.com> Subject: Re: (Fwd) New crypto bill clears committee Sender: owner-espam(a)lists.espace.net Precedence: bulk Reply-To: e$(a)thumper.vmeng.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- This mail is brought to you by the e$pam mailing list --------------------------------------------------------------------- owner-cryptography(a)c2.org using -f X-Sender: rah(a)atanda.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 15:15:58 -0400 To: Adam Shostack <adam(a)homeport.org> From: Robert Hettinga <rah(a)shipwright.com> Subject: Re: (Fwd) New crypto bill clears committee Cc: cryptography(a)c2.net Sender: owner-cryptography(a)c2.net > At 7:56 AM -0400 6/20/97, Adam Shostack wrote: > I plan to spend a substaintial portion of my day explaining to the > large companies I consult with that this is a very bad thing, and they > should be opposing its advance. Said syllogistically, Digital Commerce *is* Financial Cryptography, Financial Cryptography *is* Strong Cryptography, therefore, Digital Commerce *is* Strong Cryptography. and therefore, No Strong Cryptography, no Digital Commerce. Instructions for the use of this syllogism: Invite 'em to a presentation. Use one proposition per slide, with nothing on the slide but the proposition, centered vertically and horizontally. Don't make handouts. Put up the first slide, and defend the proposition. Repeat until last slide. Ask for questions. The bill is in the mail. ;-). QED, RAH ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Where people, networks and money come together: Consult Hyperion http://www.hyperion.co.uk info(a)hyperion.co.uk --------------------------------------------------------------------- Like e$? Help pay for it! See <http://www.shipwright.com/beg.html> Or, for e$/e$pam sponsorship, <mailto:rah@shipwright.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------- --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/

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Cypherpunks write code
by Lucky Green 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

When I joined the Cypherpunks mailing list some years ago, few people even considered a legislative fix to the crypto issue. After all, crypto-anarchy is incompatible with the legislative process. Cypherpunks couldn't care less what happens in DC. They are banning crypto? What else is new? Cypherpunks know that governments do not like crypto. As crypto-anarchy spreads, they will like it even less. The attempt to get governments to sanction crypto is therefore futile. In the end, all non-GAK crypto will be banned. But who cares? Cypherpunks write code! We know that we need to get the tools out. Deployment wins. So let's not get hung up on the events in DC. Don't call your Senator. Don't waste time reading "policy posts". Write code! We have monumental tasks ahead of us. Anon remailers exist today. A way of reliably receiving anon email will be deployed this year. Web anonymizers that truly conceal your identity are in limited beta. Fully anonymous ecash will be available soon. DC nets should be deployed early next year. [But don't let this stop you from working on DC nets. Modern designs only double the message bandwidth. This is very reasonable. We need more implementations]. There is much work still to be done. We need stego front ends for many of these services. And credentials need to be implemened. A task that hasn't even been touched yet. Cypherpunks write code, --Lucky Green <shamrock(a)netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred. DES is dead! Please join in breaking RC5-56. http://rc5.distributed.net/

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Re: CDT Policy Post 3.08 - Senate Committee Approves Key Crypto Bill
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 19:22:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Charles Platt <cp(a)panix.com> To: Declan McCullagh <declan(a)well.com> Subject: Re: CDT Policy Post 3.08 - Senate Committee Approves Key Crypto Bill (fwd) > From: Jonah Seiger <jseiger(a)cdt.org> > This process is raw and smelly, I know, but it's also called Democracy. The United States is not a pure democracy, it is a constitutional republic. I believe I have a constitutional right to privacy. I also believe that I probably have a constitutional right to anonymity. It doesn't matter what "most senators" think, or indeed what "most Americans" think, if their thinking is contradicted by the Constitution. We do not have simple majority rule, here. In fact the founders of the country went out of their way to insure that the simple majority could not easily violate the principles upon which the country was founded. > But before we get all caught up in the old jihad between "the purists" and > the "pragmatists", just think about this for a moment: If we are going to > have a prayer of getting out of this Congress without getting stuck with > manditory key recovery, we have to at least recognize where we fit in to > the overall equation and how the system actually works. We can do a lot to > impact the outcome of this issue -- but not if we are operating in a > different area code from reality. This can be summarized as "compromise or else." I have never believed that this is an acceptable policy when dealing with people who are ethically impaired. Moreover, it is not even a SENSIBLE policy, from a purely pragmatic point of view. Did ACT-UP adopt a compromising position in order to get what they wanted? Would they have done better if they had agreed to compromise? Of course not. You have no hope of getting even a fraction of what you want, when dealing with the power-crazed yahoos in DC, unless you are willing either to bribe them or be an intransigent extremist. (So it seems to me, anyway.) The CDT party line always seems to be, "play ball and kiss ass in the hope that legislators will be nice to you." Thanks, but no thanks.

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