December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Certificates/Anonymity/Policy/True Names
by Michael Froomkin 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I have a question which is of course purely hypothetical. Suppose you were designing the legal framework that would govern the operation of Certification Authorities (the people who issue certificates vouching for public keys used for digitial signatures), called CAs for short. The CAs will operate in a hierarchical model (not a PGP-web-of-trust model), with a state agency being at the root, and issuing certificates for private CAs. You have decided to allow the private CAs to issue certificates of varying degrees of corroberation so long as the degree of verification used is deducible from the certificate. E.g. a certificate might say "we check the passport"; or "we check driver's license" or "we took blood, hair, fingprint, retinal scan and first-born child". It might even say "we checked nothing". You have also decided that a CA may issue a certificate in the name of a pseudonym, so long as the CA retains information about the True Name. Now the issue arises as to whether one should allow the CA to issue certificates to pseudonyms where it has *no record* of the real identity of the person proffering the key pair. Is there any reason why a person would want such a certificate? In other words, given that the recipient of a digital signature will easily be able to check the value of the certificate (nil), won't the transaction/communication be in all ways identical to one where there was no certificate at all. So is anything of value lost by prohibiting such a certificate? I understand, of course, that in a world where the CA has no duty to check the client's representations, there is a somewhat farcical element to this debate, but this hypothetical problem involves group decision making and groups find themselves debating irrational things. A. Michael Froomkin | +1 (305) 284-4285; +1 (305) 284-6506 (fax) Associate Professor of Law | mfroomki(a)umiami.ir.miami.edu U. Miami School of Law | P.O. Box 248087 | It's hot here. And humid. Coral Gables, FL 33124 USA | See http://www-swiss.ai.mit.edu/6095/articles/froomkin-metaphor/text.html and http://www.law.cornell.edu/jol/froomkin.htm

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Re: Cypherpunks' ideal escrow agent
by liberty＠gate.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- James Childers <ic58(a)jove.acs.unt.edu> wrote: >I've seen the idea of voluntary key escrow discussed before on this list. >(And no, not the government's idea of "voluntary", either.) A question I >would raise is this: What would be the ideal setup for an escrow agency? >If I were to open up an agency for business, what would be some >characteristics you would look for? Exactly what the government *doesn't* want, I'm afraid... I would want them to honor *only* warrants which involve crimes dealing with at least the possibility of an individual, articulable victim. Despite much hot wind about "terrorism" from the FBI to the contrary, the reason for "GAK" [I liked "FUCKED" better] is to allow prosecuting the tax-and-spend drug war to remain possible. Also, the temptation to ignore any warrant requirement and screen *political* e-mail if a "minor" political party started to gain prominence would be nearly overwhelming to any non-angels with "real-time" decryption capability. Political debates these days are (obviously) won by sound bite, and advisors want to be prepared for a sound "byte" such as "tax-and-spend drug war" [Oops, can't use that one now!] :) flying through cyberspace toward an opponent, just as Reagan was (supposedly) prepared for Carter's lines before their debates. <zipping up my Nomex bodysuit now...> JMR -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Freedom isn't Freeh iQCVAwUBMDUDZ21lp8bpvW01AQFx0wP/b5c5xTxyGygbTcRJriErK9dD0ahfFXEu SSpqmExn+E+aD6tYNQNEDS50pnT8wOI7IKQjVLGGEZKfmeZRIU7gnT0jttbHV14c QnMGkMsEsVK3R2YkWPGavhPeJwdrwHrvYC/xUFzrtSJHQQ1u7X3LXubjS2vikcVJ mxqfYoUympA= =YEMs -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Regards, Jim Ray "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structures of reality. It is enough if one merely tries to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity." -- Albert Einstein ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PGP key Fingerprint 51 5D A2 C3 92 2C 56 BE 53 2D 9C A1 B3 50 C9 C8 Key id. # E9BD6D35 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support the Phil Zimmermann (Author of PGP) Legal Defense Fund! email: zldf(a)clark.net or visit http://www.netresponse.com/zldf ________________________________________________________________________

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News from the Front (July Issue)
by news＠sldc.ffg.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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How Does Fortezza Work?
by Alan Tu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hi all, I am writing an article to help people understand the technical and practical issues surrounding the key escrow debate. Can someone tell me how the Fortezza chip works. I have a 1993 document which is incomplete. Is the session key K still encrypted with the unit key U? And is that whole thing encrypted, with the serial number, with the family key F? I'd appreciate some more current info. You will be credited in my article. Alan Tu -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: noconv Comment: Requires PGP version 2.6 or later. iQCVAwUBM9zSwZezmBrl2RXhAQEF3AP+Nw3xwRh+fwxXtNDIK8Eo0BiZiyHNnKHo vyPqe/V3OrK6k3U9iHAiajCodpvQpb6uaPE+YiKwymtLdzEqUp2AcxubV9/7XIk1 cKrdsTEvBFMnPV0DN0H3UFqPivsJJ3beRifAjP07xOUiiw7b0dyiDFwPnyNLm40w BRl2Dvxv5Ow= =tDzB -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Type Bits/KeyID Date User ID pub 1024/E5D915E1 1997/04/27 Alan Tu <atu5713(a)compuserve.com> Alan Tu <102534.2165(a)compuserve.com> -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.3i Comment: Requires PGP version 2.6 or later. mQCNAzNivkwAAAEEALdGUXD3j+RioIirVG46N6LaGD3YMMVVT5Mjwr5JojQsDICy 856I06Ugo/Fqid2A/os7v/gwE+Sj/WhMERgTsTejUZtsucTpS9sae+cc27Fjjq1l hOnqcLZqnHDDNyn3+jesVFPLnRlSoHbmcBK1XDW/SJT1anZz55ezmBrl2RXhAAUR tCBBbGFuIFR1IDxhdHU1NzEzQGNvbXB1c2VydmUuY29tPokAlQIFEDOguk6Xs5ga 5dkV4QEBBF8D/1B0ePqlMavWEUMP0uTmyvWFI7jooAcih6uHZFo2u+u3EzE2Is8X EoLHg39DhjleTHPu6TnGsWIiwDYEslzYeVw/Cglx6eliYIr/qs7peEywuhtZsEFH ln6yR9IE6rX3b3GCvPSQ5uPhXWrd2kWaZvG4rQ4Oj1m3yTrFaPRqCBPvtCRBbGFu IFR1IDwxMDI1MzQuMjE2NUBjb21wdXNlcnZlLmNvbT6JAJUDBRAzyUJWl7OYGuXZ FeEBAc4TBACT8gLtyE0C8NBGs9aDa9kHfeNzN8VbNfUpoOiWi4duAAZFiAt/e+ji J2BUMLIY8kzm2WX4mVzpKYjvea5TtHeQgbESV1HVZ5k7abENMUYz5nSMloOE+bb+ XRzgGgFF3htGXDJNywlLNgoYi5vTMT0pbGlCzOu215Cc4mFls2w1iA== =CM85 -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

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Re: Netscape security
by adam＠bwh.harvard.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

| > > There is no word as to how to become a KSA. Netscpe has | > >ignored the question on several occaisons. | > | > I'm fairly sure that I remember Taher saying at the W3C security | > meeting that they intend to do this, and that hardcoding the CA's | > into the library was as quick hack. I also have the impression | > that they don't know how to do it, but my recollection is fuzzier there. | | It has been stated publicly several times that we do plan to allow | user configurable certificate authority and server trust. A user | will be able to configure their browser to talk to servers that have | certificates signed by any CA they choose to trust. But I think I can work cheaper than Verisign. What do I have to do to get set up as a KCA today? Adam -- "It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -Hume

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How Does Fortezza Work?
by Alan Tu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Please send replies to atu5713(a)compuserve.com -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hi all, I am writing an article to help people understand the technical and practical issues surrounding the key escrow debate. Can someone tell me how the Fortezza chip works. I have a 1993 document which is incomplete. Is the session key K still encrypted with the unit key U? And is that whole thing encrypted, with the serial number, with the family key F? I'd appreciate some more current info. You will be credited in my article. Alan Tu -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: noconv Comment: Requires PGP version 2.6 or later. iQCVAwUBM9zSwZezmBrl2RXhAQEF3AP+Nw3xwRh+fwxXtNDIK8Eo0BiZiyHNnKHo vyPqe/V3OrK6k3U9iHAiajCodpvQpb6uaPE+YiKwymtLdzEqUp2AcxubV9/7XIk1 cKrdsTEvBFMnPV0DN0H3UFqPivsJJ3beRifAjP07xOUiiw7b0dyiDFwPnyNLm40w BRl2Dvxv5Ow= =tDzB -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Type Bits/KeyID Date User ID pub 1024/E5D915E1 1997/04/27 Alan Tu <atu5713(a)compuserve.com> Alan Tu <102534.2165(a)compuserve.com> -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.3i Comment: Requires PGP version 2.6 or later. mQCNAzNivkwAAAEEALdGUXD3j+RioIirVG46N6LaGD3YMMVVT5Mjwr5JojQsDICy 856I06Ugo/Fqid2A/os7v/gwE+Sj/WhMERgTsTejUZtsucTpS9sae+cc27Fjjq1l hOnqcLZqnHDDNyn3+jesVFPLnRlSoHbmcBK1XDW/SJT1anZz55ezmBrl2RXhAAUR tCBBbGFuIFR1IDxhdHU1NzEzQGNvbXB1c2VydmUuY29tPokAlQIFEDOguk6Xs5ga 5dkV4QEBBF8D/1B0ePqlMavWEUMP0uTmyvWFI7jooAcih6uHZFo2u+u3EzE2Is8X EoLHg39DhjleTHPu6TnGsWIiwDYEslzYeVw/Cglx6eliYIr/qs7peEywuhtZsEFH ln6yR9IE6rX3b3GCvPSQ5uPhXWrd2kWaZvG4rQ4Oj1m3yTrFaPRqCBPvtCRBbGFu IFR1IDwxMDI1MzQuMjE2NUBjb21wdXNlcnZlLmNvbT6JAJUDBRAzyUJWl7OYGuXZ FeEBAc4TBACT8gLtyE0C8NBGs9aDa9kHfeNzN8VbNfUpoOiWi4duAAZFiAt/e+ji J2BUMLIY8kzm2WX4mVzpKYjvea5TtHeQgbESV1HVZ5k7abENMUYz5nSMloOE+bb+ XRzgGgFF3htGXDJNywlLNgoYi5vTMT0pbGlCzOu215Cc4mFls2w1iA== =CM85 -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

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Cryptography Question (I hope it's not off-topic on this list)
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I was thinking about *chaining* remailers and wondered if encryption of a certain strength could be *chained* in order to make it as strong as stronger encryption. e.g. - If only 56-bit encryption becomes legal, is there a method of *chaining* several passes of 48-bit encryption which would make it just as hard to break as 96/192/384-bit (etc.) encryption? If this is indeed impossible, then perhaps the government might pass a law that makes it illegal to encrypt an encrypted file, but experience seems to suggest that any law passed always leaves a loophole or back door for inventive people to circumvent it. CyberDoc

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Vacation
by Hal 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Sorry to be bugging out at such an interesting time, but I will be on vacation from Aug 19 through Aug 26. Hope to see a lot of CPs at Crypto - Hal Finney

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Re: Netscape security
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Responding to msg by altitude(a)cic.net (Alex Tang) on Fri, 18 Aug 2:52 PM >It seems that one of the problems with Damien's >cracking job was that it was "not sanctioned". Look >at the WSJ article, they didn't mention his >name...they just called him "a hacker". It shows how >public opinion still sees groups like the cypherpunks >as just that, a bunch of punks. > >With some "respected" business on our side, it may make >a much bigger impact (better publicity, better >leverage, etc.). While the WSJ story mentioned no names, other than the esteemed CypherName and our cypheragent who lured the reporter, later stories have given individual credit and amplified the "mainstream" impact of the cabalistic hacker culture crack. This segue may be due to the PR-mad corporations and the LEA's seeking to profit by the drama given to outsiders to get their safety-products approved, to pose themselves as being more devoted to the public weal than the devil- punks (liars or inadverdent truthsayers?). Or, it may just be a more interesting (lucrative) to pump the outsider, hacker aspect. Reporting on hackerdom has been oft used to boost a shrewd wannabe-an-insider's rep in the mainstream -- no names now, you know who they are, most are doing quite well, Zarathrustra bless their complicit Guccioni-success. So, hackers, punks, cypherpunks, up all night, right, watch them come calling for an interview when you misbehave in outrageous and wondrous and techno-magical ways. Gotta get lurid stories to allure the customer/advertiser/voter. Damien, Hal and the SSL-non-anonymous hackers, watch your backs, think of Kevin and his oh-so-admiring, trust-me provocateurs. Just my Time-averse sensor-jigger, sensing threat models.

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Re: WhiSSLing in the Dark
by ab411＠detroit.freenet.org 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>Netscape Encrypted Data Cracked > >Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 18 (NB) -- ... > >Many companies working on secure transaction systems hope >the much more secure 128-bit code version of the system >will be available for export eventually. This is said to >be almost unbreakable, requiring a trillion times more >processing power to crack than the 40-bit version. ... Notice how the "over a trillion times more" has devolved into simply "a trillion times more" -- and we all know that the former statement was a gross underestimate, reminiscent of the claim of "over 3 billion combinations" on Ideal's packaging for Rubik's cube. Of course the real reason the media have standardized on trillian for this is that they know it is the biggest number the bulk of their audience is familiar with, and that if they said 3e26 or even "three times ten to the twenty-sixth power" they would snow most of their readers/viewers. (To be fair, I think the WSJ did say 10^26, with a brief explanation of what that meant. I congratulate them for not "talking down" to their readers.) -- David R. Conrad, ab411(a)detroit.freenet.org, http://www.grfn.org/~conrad Finger conrad(a)grfn.org for PGP 2.6 public key; it's also on my home page Key fingerprint = 33 12 BC 77 48 81 99 A5 D8 9C 43 16 3C 37 0B 50 Jerry Garcia, August 1, 1942 - August 9, 1995. Requiescat in pace.

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