December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Pocket Data Encryptor
by Jim choate 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

LAN Computing May 94 V5#5 pp.41 Cylink has released a pocket sized DES encryptor that is designed to fit between a modem and a serial port. Cylink 310 N. Mary Av. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-735-6643 Check them out...

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seeking Pr0duct Cypher
by steven＠echonyc.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I am working on a story for WIRED about digital money, and notice here that someone named Pr0duct Cypher is behind the scheme that some people are experimenting with. Would Pr0duct Cypher mind contacting me? Use this email (steven(a)echonyc.com) to make the connection. Also, if anyone else wants to point me to interesting stuff, feel free. I'm probably on top of the obvious (Chaum, etc), but better to assume that I'm missing stuff. Steven Levy _______________________________________________________ Steven Levy steven(a)well.com steven(a)echonyc.com author, Hackers, Artificial Life, Insanely Great contributor, Macworld, Wired "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." _______________________________________________________

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crypto in June Byte
by bart＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Three items. On p.41 at 2/3 page review of Schneier's "Applied Cryptography" favorable if not raving. In the What's New Hardware pages: The Crypto-Com V.32bis asynchronous pocket modem ($895) from Western Datacom (Westlake, OH) encrypts all data transmissions between two of the companies modems. 800 262 3311 [ It uses single DES they said when I called ] Lastly a seven page article "Distributed and Secure" by a Russell Kay whose bio says he edited Infosecurity News and Computer Security Journal. The box on the front page says "When you distribute information and processing, you also delegate security responsibility. Good access controls, eyes open administration, and communication encryption can make all the difference". Login control token technology is reviewed, Kerberos discussed and explained, PK crypto including PGP, and the Andrew file system. Something new to me was: "... NSA recently placed a large order for what it calls 'sniffless password generators' with Secure Computing in Roseville, Minnesota. With the company's Lockout system, instead of sending a password over the wire "in clear," you send a cryptographic representation of it, using a one time encryption key. Each time you login, the password is encrypted with a different key. The NSA will use Lockout in conjunction with its Tessera Crypto Card, a PCMCIA device. ... It uses both NIST's Digital Signature Algorithm and the NSA's Mosaic encryption algorithms."

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Re: Patentability (was Graph
by Pierre Omidyar 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Reply to: RE>Patentability (was Graph isomorphism based PK cr) [disclaimer: I'm not an expert, but I've done some work with patents.] I believe the best way to ensure that something becomes unpatentable is to: 1. Publish it first. That reserves your right to file a patent if you want. No one else can patent your original work. 2. Don't file a patent within one year of publication. After one year you lose your right to file. No one else can file, because by then the invention is considered to be public knowledge (since it was published), so it would not satisfy the "original and novel" patentability test. If you keep the process a secret, someone else could independantly invent it and patent it. If you publish it before someone else files, it becomes public knowledge and is unpatentable except by the original inventor within one year of publication. Pierre -------------------------------------- Date: 5/25/94 9:21 AM To: Pierre Omidyar From: perry(a)imsi.com Harry Bartholomew says: > > Jay Prime Positive says: > > > I only worry that if I publish, it could be patented. And I don't > > > want the algorithm to end up in the hands of the software patent > > > folks. Especially if they will be making money off it, and I wont. > > > > If you publish, only you could patent it. There is only danger if you > > don't publish, in which case others can independently make the same > > discovery and patent it. > > > > Perry > > But you would then need to file within one year of the publication > date I think. His whole point was that he wanted to render the process unpatentable. Perry ------------------ RFC822 Header Follows ------------------

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Re: Graph isomorphism based PK cryptosystems?
by bshantz＠spry.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>Harry Bartholomew says: > > > Jay Prime Positive says: > > > > I only worry that if I publish, it could be patented. And I don't > > > > want the algorithm to end up in the hands of the software patent > > > > folks. Especially if they will be making money off it, and I wont. > > > > > > If you publish, only you could patent it. There is only danger if you > > > don't publish, in which case others can independently make the same > > > discovery and patent it. > > > > > > Perry > > > > But you would then need to file within one year of the publication > > date I think. > > His whole point was that he wanted to render the process unpatentable. > > Perry So, if JPP publishes it, it would be a matter of trust that he wouldn't patent it. Okay, I have no problems with that. However, it is still patentable. What could be done to make it unpatentable? Brad :::::::::::::::::<<< NETWORKING THE DESKTOP >>>::::::::::::::::: Brad Shantz Internet : bshantz(a)spry.com SPRY Inc Ph# (206) 447-0300 316 Occidental Avenue S. 2nd Floor FAX (206) 447-9008 Seattle, WA 98104 ---------------------------------------------------------------- "In gopherspace no one can hear you scream." ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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My 2.3a Key is listed as a 2.6 on MIT
by Brian Beker 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On the WWW I went over to Brian LaMacchia's announced new keyserver and looked myself up. I was amazed to see that my 2.3a key now carries a 2.6 version number and lists an 8-bit key ID. The key ID is identical to the old one with two new characters up front. I have never ordered 2.6 because I'm satisfied with 2.3a and rely on it for communications with people outside the US. Does this bizarre "upgrading" mean that my key, as downloaded from that server, will function as a 2.6 key and become incompatible with 2.3n versions after the September 1st deadline? And what are the other implications of the keyserver evidently automatically changing version numbers and ID's on public keys previously resident on the list? I am bothered by seeing my key differ in any way from the way I originally generated it. Brian Beker

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PGP 2.5 is outside...
by Vincent.Cate＠FURMINT.NECTAR.CS.CMU.EDU 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Adam Shostack <adam(a)bwh.harvard.edu>: >As I said in my first message, I've heard 2.5 has already found its way >out of the US. If that is the case, then the non-US users have access >to 2.5. If they do have access to 2.5, then could we discuss the >technical merits of patching 2.5 v. patching 2.3? Lets do a quick check and see where that might be... > dirs /alex/edu/cmu/cs/sp/alex/links/security >gunzip -c < Index.gz | grep -i pgp | grep -v pgpkey | grep 5 /alex/edu/berkeley/csua/ftp/pub/cypherpunks/pgp/pgp25 [...] /alex/org/eff/ftp/pub/Net_info/Tools/Crypto/PGP/README.PGP2.5 [...] /alex/edu/umich/eecs/ftp/software/crypt/pgp25src.tar [...] /alex/it/unimi/dsi/ftp/pub/security/crypt/PGP/p25.tar Yup. Not only is it out, it is FTPable from outside. > alex2url /alex/it/unimi/dsi/ftp/pub/security/crypt/PGP/p25.tar ftp://ftp.dsi.unimi.it/pub/security/crypt/PGP/p25.tar -- Vince (For info on Alex see ftp://alex.sp.cs.cmu.edu/www/alex.html)

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[Q} IBM's NetSP encyption; what is it
by Harry S. Hawk 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I read: > IBM also plans to integrate security features based on > IBM-developed NetSP encryption technology, which provides sufficient > security for tapping corporate data. NetSP is not subject to US export > controls and can be implemented outside the US. > [05-24-94 at 19:00 EDT, Copyright 1994, International Data Group They are using this with a new service that will compete with AT&T's PersonalLink (which uses RSA encypt via Telescript). Does anyone know anything about NetSP, how secure it is, etc. FYI, the service is agent "based" > Moreover, Intelligent Communications service will include a permanent > personalized agent, called an Alter Ego, which contains a range of > user- specific information. The Alter Ego is a "rules-based static > agent" that can respond to, or filter, incoming messages on behalf of > the user. > [05-24-94 at 19:00 EDT, Copyright 1994, International Data Group -- Harry S. Hawk habs(a)panix.com Product Marketing Manager PowerMail, Inc. Producers of MailWeir(tm) & PowerServ(tm)

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Re: PGP 2.5 is outside...
by Linn Stanton 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

In message <9405251315.AA06738@ next1.tem.nhl.nl >you write: > We'll try to make a nice new PGP 2.3c, which will be 100% compatible with > the 2.6 version. (Bug fixes from 2.3 to 2.4 from Branko Lankester are already > applied, now the compatibility problem will be to let 2.3 know it is 2.6) Why not have that version advertize itself as 2.6? Then everyone would see a key that says its 2.6, and which would be legal (under different rules) worldwide. Linn H. Stanton <stanton(a)acm.org> The above opinions are exclusively my own. If anyone else wants them, they can buy them from me. Easy terms can be arranged. -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6 mQCNAi3iC/MAAAEEAOj2cr49PeFwa78Swqf3nBZHspCfZ+IgX8nGU8rbm2oJ6VYj u8o2M4c3Nv/tkoou24gDtM43/jSrRAalcX40pbGRqWJkkayJ52J8o4KupCrgsKLg fBE5P4tcUo9KaeJIaOfItJ2qrfTOcFuN7GiyTQ1E2/FGPSHDoqz3kXhxoZcNAAUR tCFMaW5uIEguIFN0YW50b24gPHN0YW50b25AYWNtLm9yZz4= =H8OV -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

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Re: PGP 2.6 uses RSAREF version 1
by sommerfeld＠localhost.medford.ma.us 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Has anyone been able to FTP a copy of RSAREF from rsa.com recently? I get "permission denied" when I attempt to cd into the directory named by the README file.. - Bill

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