December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

RSA's phone number
by norm＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Can someone give me RSA's Phone number?

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Cypherpunks-related Cartoons
by cfrye＠ciis.mitre.org 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

A thought struck me yesterday (minimal damage as I saw it coming): we should collect references to/copies of Cypherpunks-related cartoons to have on hand as a tool for spreading the word about electronic privacy. For example, I saw a Calvin & Hobbes (last week?) where Calvin's dad bought a book by cash so the store couldn't track his purchasing habits; Hobbes' comment in the last frame was something like: "He's being dragged kicking and screaming into the information age, eh?" There's also the _New Yorker_ one with "On the Internet, no one knows you're a dog." and a few Bloom County's from 1987(???) that feature "secret writing". This set is perhaps best summed up by the following (paraphrased) exchange between Opus and Portenoy, the ground hog: Frame 1: Portenoy: Opus, you're an UKRL head. Opus: (Looks startled.) Frame 2: Portenoy: (Looks happy/relieved) I've always wanted to say that! Frame 3: Portenoy: This freedom to say what we want is the true meaning of the First Amendment! I for one love it! (Walks toward horizon) Frame 4: Opus: (Watches Portenoy depart, turns to address reader over left shoulder) That doesn't change the fact that I'm an UKRL head. Anyone else have references to other relevant cartoons? I'll keep a list and would be happy to post it whenever there is a significant number of new entries. -- Best regards, Curtis D. Frye cfrye(a)ciis.mitre.org "If you think I speak for MITRE, I'll tell you how much they pay me and make you feel foolish."

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Unsubscribe
by Michael Ogden 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

After numerous attempts at cypherpunks-request(a)toad.com (but to no avail) Please unsubscribe me from this list.... Its been a hoot!

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Re: Cypherpunks-related Cartoons
by jim＠bilbo.suite.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Great idea! I'll keep an eye out. I have a "Calvin and Hobbes" taped to the wall next to my workstation that is perhaps remotely related to things Cypherpunk. It is more closely related to technology in general. Anyways, it goes something like this... [Calvin and Hobbes are walking through the woods] Calvin: "You know, Hobbes, it seems the only time most people go outside is to walk to their cars. "We have houses, electricity, plumbing, heat...Maybe we're so sheltered and comfortable that we've lost touch with the natural world and forgotten our place in it. Maybe we've lost our awe of nature. "That's why I want to ask you, as a tiger, a wild animal close to nature, what you think we're put on earth to do. What's our purpose in life? Why are we here?" Hobbes: [contemplates] "We're here to devour each other alive." Calvin: [stunned/blank look on his face, runs into his house] "Turn on the lights! Turn up the heat!" Jim_Miller(a)suite.com

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unsubscribe me please
by Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

After trying cypherpunks-request(a)toad.com without success, I ask: please unsubscribe me from this list. Thank You

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Re: Cypherpunks-related Cartoons
by jim＠bilbo.suite.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Here are a couple of software-related cartoons. They don't directly relate to things Cypherpunk, but Cypherpunks may still find them humorous. The origin of the first one is lost in the mist of time. My copy is a n-th generation photocopy of a photocopy. It goes like this: A woman and two children are standing beside a fresh grave site. It is pouring rain and they are huddled under an umbrella. A man standing next to them asks..."I know this may be an awkward time, but do you recall him ever mentioning source code?" The second cartoon is by Scott Adams and is dated 9-8-1992. It was distributed by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. I don't remember were I got my copy. It goes like this: [Three older-looking geeky engineer types are sitting at a table, presumably taking their lunch break.] Geek #1: When I started programming, we didn't have any of these sissy "Icons" and "Windows". All we had were zeros and ones -- and sometimes we didn't even have ones. I wrote an entire database program using only zeros. Geek #2 You had zeros? We had to use the letter "O". Jim_Miller(a)suite.com

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QUERY: source of info about nat'l. health ID card/number
by Stanton McCandlish 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Please respond by direct email, not list mail (or both if you dig): Anyone know the/a/some source(s) of info about this national health ID card and number plan I'm hearing about? We need info on this, but I'm not sure where the latest version of this stuff is, or what stage it's reached (Hillary's fancy? Legislative action? Development and implementation?) Any info appreciated. -- Stanton McCandlish mech(a)eff.org 1:109/1103 EFF Online Activist & SysOp O P E N P L A T F O R M C R Y P T O P O L I C Y O N L I N E R I G H T S N E T W O R K I N G V I R T U A L C U L T U R E I N F O : M E M B E R S H I P @ E F F . O R G

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Sun secure RPC
by Peter shipley 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I remember a referance to Sun's secure RPC where the puplic key was "insecure" because the it did not use a large "key" (to few bits?). does anyone one have info on this? -Pete

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PKP, DSS and USGVMT
by jim＠Tadpole.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1993 20:26:42 -0500 From: srctran(a)world.std.com (Gregory Aharonian) To: patents(a)world.std.com Subject: Software patent holds up $1 billion network buy A billion dollar DoD procurement for a new communications network maybe running into problems because of software patents dealing with encryption. The Defense Message System network will serve nearly one million users, and will replace a existing global Defense network. The project, being managed by the Air Force Standard Systems Center, will be a billion-dollar boost for the C/C++ COTS industry, with companies such as Microsoft, Lotus, ATT, and MCI planning to bid on the project. Unfortunately, the encryption technology planned for use in the DMS network is the subject of a long-running battle between the government and Public Key Partners (PKP). PKP claims that the proposed Digital Signature Standard (DSS) put forward by the National Institute of Standards (NIST) in 1991 infringes on public-key patents held by RSA Data Security and Prof. Claus Schnorr, both represented by PKP. Last summer the Commerce Department, after two years of unsuccessfully dealing with the legal challenges of PKP's software patents, said it would hand over an exclusive license for DSS to PKP. But over one hundred companies condemned the plan as illegal, and NIST backed off. The deal was also opposed by the European Community and the Canadian government. The deal would allow PKP to charge $1 for each public-key certificate issued using DSS. As of last week, the DoD was not prepared to say whether the procurement would be delayed by the patent problem. Negotiatons between PKP and the Commerce Department are still underway. For information, see an article in December 15, 1993 issue of Network World, page 4, on the patent issues, and an article in the November 1 edition of Federal Computer Week, page 2, for an article on the DMS procurement. ============================ Greg Aharonian Internet Patent News Service

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Re: Sun secure RPC
by smb＠research.att.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I remember a referance to Sun's secure RPC where the puplic key was "insecure" because the it did not use a large "key" (to few bits?) . does anyone one have info on this? -Pete Yup. The modulus is too small, and the key exchange was cryptanalyze by LaMacchia and Odlyzko. See @article{nfscrack, author = {Brian A. LaMacchia and Andrew M. Odlyzko}, journal = {Designs, Codes, and Cryptography}, pages = {46--62}, title = {Computation of Discrete Logarithms in Prime Fields}, volume = {1}, year = {1991}, }

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