December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Hello
by r6788＠hopi.dtcc.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hi! Did you want me to call you or just send you e-mail??? >Hi.....drop me a line when you get this. c-ya ;>

1 0

Announce: Secure HTTP Draft Specification (fwd)
by bart＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Forwarded message: > From commercenet-request(a)commerce.NET Sat Jun 11 02:32:46 1994 > Date: Sat, 11 Jun 94 01:17:50 PDT > From: wtwong(a)eitech.eit.com (William Tao-Yang Wong) > Message-Id: <9406110817.AA22886(a)eit.COM> > To: commercenet(a)ibs.eit.COM, network-wg(a)ibs.eit.COM > Cc: heathman(a)commerce.net > Subject: Announce: Secure HTTP Draft Specification > > A draft specification for Secure HTTP has been released. You may retrieve it > via any of the following methods: > > WWW: http://www.commerce.net/information/standards/drafts/shttp.txt > Email: shttp-info(a)commerce.net (Automatic response) > Anonymous FTP: ftp.commerce.net/pub/standards/drafts/shttp.txt > > > William > Secure HTTP (S-HTTP) provides secure communication mechanisms between an HTTP client-server pair. Our design intent is to provide a flexi- ble protocol that supports multiple operation modes and cryptographic algorithms and formats through option negotiation between the tran- saction parties. 1.1. Summary of Features Secure HTTP has been designed to enable incorporation of various cryptographic message format standards into Web clients and servers, including, but not limited to, PKCS-7, PEM, and PGP. S-HTTP supports interoperation among a variety of implementations, and is backward compatible with HTTP. ...

1 0

crypto in the NY Times
by smb＠research.att.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The magazine section of tomorrow's N.Y. Times has a good story on cypherpunks, Clipper, crypto, etc. Whit Diffie adorns the cover.

2 1

Cypherpunks mail database does exist
by Vincent.Cate＠FURMINT.NECTAR.CS.CMU.EDU 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Several times people have made comments about there not being an archive of old mail, or that it was not practical to index it. For the record, again, there is a database, it is indexed, and it is fast. Eric Johnson has put one together as: http://pmip.maricopa.edu/crypt/cypherpunks/Cypherpunks.src Please don't think that you used to be safe doing something illegal on this list and that you no longer are. That would be foolish. -- Vince

1 0

Protocol Wanted!!
by mpd＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Here is a simple problem. Late one night, Bob discovers a clever new method of factoring large products of distinct odd primes. Bob may now perform such factorizations in only a few hours for numbers up to 1024 bits on his trusty old 486. Bob spent a lot of time coding and testing his new algorithm, and wishes to recover some of his expenses by factoring a few RSA keys for well-to-do clients. Bob wants to do this without disclosing his identity, so a certain evil three-letter agency will not cover him with rubber hose marks trying to learn how his algorithm works. Alice is the CEO of a company who suspects PGP-encrypted mail is being used by an employee to transfer trade secrets to a foreign competitor. Alice would pay any amount of money to read this mail and confirm her suspicions. Alice is a potential client for Bob. Now for the hard part... How does Bob make Alice, and other potential clients, aware of the service he wishes to offer? How do Bob and Alice conduct business anonymously while making absolutely sure that neither is spoofing the other? Alice needs to know Bob isn't lying about being able to factor. Bob needs to know Alice has the means to pay him before he cracks a key. Bob and Alice need to exchange a factored key for money with no chance that either will back out at the last moment and try to steal from the other. How much work should Bob expect to come his way if he charges $10 a bit for his factoring service? $100 a bit? $1000 a bit? Comments anyone? -- Mike Duvos $ PGP 2.6 Public Key available $ mpd(a)netcom.com $ via Finger. $

3 4

No Subject
by nobody＠shell.portal.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I just read an interesting product announcement: "The RF-5151DE digital encryption option is designed for all RF-5000 FALCOM Series HF-SSB radio systems. The module provides an embedded voice-data encryption system which can be programmed with up to six of 1 X 10^52 key codes. The encryption algorithm is driven by a pseudo-random key generator possessing a key stream length requiring millions of years for recursion. [Harris RF Communications Group, Rochester, NY, (716) 244-5830.] This was in one of those military hardware magazines. Does this sound like a piece of military gear? Is this key length adequate for that? If it were approved for the protection of classified information, which was never mentioned one way or the other, would a detail like the key length be allowed to be disclosed publicly?

1 0

Re: The RF-5151DE digital encryption option
by koontzd＠lrcs.loral.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>From the size of the key space, it sounds like a big shift register and preset. While Harris has manufactured shift register based secure voice specified by NSA, it doesn't sound like it is military. As a guess it would be intended for export to friendly nations. A lot of military radios have board slots for a COMSEC board with whats called a trigraph designator (E-ABC). While I don't recall the actual trigraph designator, it shows us in recent advertisements. At least one foreign radio manufacturer (Israeli) also provides their own encryption module for sale to friendly nations. It used to be popular to supply DES. Quite a few corporations offer their own encryption algorithms. AT&T offers at least two, one of which is exportable. They advertise a 112 bit key, I think.

1 0

Encrypted Military Information Broadcasts
by nobody＠shell.portal.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>From reading unclassified literature related to a device called a "Commanders' Tactical Terminal/Hybrid-Receive Only" (CTT/H-R) manufactured by E-Systems, I've heard of such things as: Tactical Information Broadcasting Service (TIBS) Tactical Reconnaissance Equipment and Related Applications (TRAP) Tactical Data Information Exchange System Broadcast (TADIXS-B) CONSTANT SOURCE SENIOR SPAN It also mentions "embedded COMSEC modules based on CTIC and Ricebird crypto chips". Reading between the lines, it seems to be some sort of encrypted information distribution system. Is there an UNclassified (and brief) description of the function and usage of each of these available somewhere, hopefully that could be posted here? Thanks. My job situation is such that it wouldn't be prudent or me to ask these questions openly, hence my use of an anon server. PLEASE NOTE: This is not a solicitation of classified information. -----------

1 0

Loompanics is online
by Vincent.Cate＠FURMINT.NECTAR.CS.CMU.EDU 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Looking at some old cypherpunks mail from Tim May: >Enjoy finding and reading these. But your first priority should be to >get the Loompanics catalog...other books may spark your interest more. >I think the catalog is still $5 (well worth it), unless you order >another book first, as described below. I thought it might be worth pointing out that most of their catalog is now online as: gopher://gopher.well.sf.ca.us/00/Business/catalog.asc And you can send mail to them at: loompanx(a)pt.olympus.net -- Vince

1 0

NAFTA and crypto
by hkhenson＠cup.portal.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

An amusing possibility has cropped up. While looking at a motion to dismiss the AA BBS (porn) case, it dawned on me that the same aggument might apply to exporting crypto. Namely NAFTA seems to have negated laws which interfear with free trade (with some minor exceptions). I will post the full text of the motion to the list later today or tomarrow. Keith

1 0