December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

IntraLoan
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- begin forwarded text X-Sender: ahernlj(a)swift.alaska.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 11:28:03 -0900 To: dcsb(a)ai.mit.edu From: lance ahern <ahernlj(a)alaska.net> Subject: IntraLoan Sender: bounce-dcsb(a)ai.mit.edu Precedence: bulk Reply-To: lance ahern <ahernlj(a)alaska.net> A new service lets parties communicate online via encrypted, digitally notarized documents posted on a secure site. http://www.techweb.com/wire/news/1997/09/0922bank.html nothing special, just a working service... <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> Lance J. Ahern Internet Alaska, Inc. ahernlj(a)alaska.net 907-562-4638 unlimited - ppp - 33.6K - $19.50/month For help on using this list (especially unsubscribing), send a message to "dcsb-request(a)ai.mit.edu" with one line of text: "help". --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 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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InfoWar 20 / Text Version of "The True Story of the Internet" Part 3
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The True Story of the InterNet Part III InfoWar Final Frontier of the Digital Revolution Behind the ElectroMagnetic Curtain by TruthMonger <tm(a)dev.null> Copyright 1997 Pearl Publishing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- InfoWar Table of Contents * Prelude to the Past ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Title ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Did you notice the way 'Mojave' was misspelled?" the Shadow asked the Rich Man. Bad BillyG nodded slowly, looked up at the Shadow and said, "I also noticed that he used the 'replay' remailer and spoke of 'deja vu.'" "Indio?" the Shadow asked Bad BillyG, not having to wait for his confirmation to know that the anonymous writer was referring to the Wackenhut/Cabazon weapons fencing operation. "I've got someone checking the physical site as we speak," BillyG told the Shadow, "but I think it's obvious that the references to Lefty and the tassel-haired young woman firing a shotgun with one hand means that these people recreated an event that happened over a decade and a half ago, only" Bad BillyG paused to swallow, "only this time, the targets are us, not them." The Shadow and his earthly compatriot turned their attention to the anonymous post, once again, confirming what they already knew, and scanning for more details of the writers veiled message, therein. Subject: Not-News Gorilla NutWork Rocket-Launched From: nobody(a)REPLAY.COM (Anonymous) Organization: Replay and Company UnLimited To: cypherpunks(a)toad.com [Not-News NetWork-- Mohave Desert] Aug 4/97 WHAT DOES A FIVE HUNDRED POUND GORILLA READ AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE? - sog The "Not-News Gorilla NutWork" was rocket-launched in the Mohave Desert early yesterday morning by a rag-tag bunch of paramilitarist computer gurus who unveiled an InterNet Bill of Bytes that included the words, "MicroSoft shall make no laws..." Angered by a self-appointed council of computer industry magnates who have announced their intention to seize fascist control of the quickly burgeoning Information Highway by controlling the definition of all information, the rebels set up a shooting range which contained a wide variety of targets ranging from copies of the Wall Street Journal to life-sized cardboard cut-outs of a hooded figure referred to only as, "a billionaire to be named later." A Che Guerva look-alike named Lefty (a nickname changed from "Lucky" after a laboratory accident took three of the fingers on his right hand) spoke openly about the group's loose-knit plans to impose their own ratings system on corporations who have "taken it upon themselves to decide what is news and what is not--what is information and what is obscenity." "We have decided on two classes of ratings." explained a tassel- haired young woman as she slid shells into a Winchester Defender sitting on her lap. "On..." she said, lifting the shotgun with one hand, then liberating the hooded head from a nearby cardboard cut-out, before turning back to say, with a Cheshire grin, "...and off." The wide array of luxury automobiles and high-end computer gear on display at the gathering lent credence to the claim of a quiet older man whose only comment during my presence was, "The people here probably have a combined access to more soft targets than the NSA." He turned to punctuate his statement, as many others did that day, with a volley of fire that penetrated targets carrying the corporate logos of a variety of big-name players in the computer industry. Surprisingly, the conversation consisted almost totally of issues surrounding privacy, self-determination and freedom from censorship, with hardly a word being spoken about potential plans of action by individuals or the group. As the quiet man's equally quiet wife spoke in what seemed to be a deathly whisper, telling me, "Everyone here knows what they have to do.", a man with a crude, homemade rocket-launcher sent a flaming projectile into the side of a small propane tank several hundred feet away, as if punctuating the last and most meaningful statement of the day. After quietly dispersing a few minutes later, the group packed up their weapons and climbed into their vehicles without a word between them, each seemingly going their own separate ways. I stayed on after the last of the others had left, reflecting on the fact that I had arrived at this gathering by virtue of a late-night phone call to my unlisted number, and found that I knew none of the participants in the activities. I had the strangest feeling that the others there had arrived by the same anonymous process as I had, and I wondered if they were equally mystified as to who had arranged this impromptu assembly of apparent strangers joined in a common cause. Immediately, one of the pickup trucks driving away backfired, and I thought of synchronicity, knowing that the truck would backfire once again, which it immediately did, before disappearing quietly out of sight. Climbing into my own vehicle, I took a last look at the site, which had been cleaned and left exactly the way it was when I had first arrived on the scene. I experienced a moment of deja vu, as if I had just arrived and none of what I had experienced that day had truly transpired. Somewhere in the distance, a vehicle backfired... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer - I am not a reporter, I am not a paramilitarist, and I am not a computer expert. I have no idea what I was doing there and I am not even certain that I should be speaking about the event...but I am. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Player To Be Named Later put down the 'Not-News Gorilla NutWork Rocket-Launched' post and scanned portions of the INSLAW/Octopus report from NaziWorld, once again. The INSLAW Octopus Software piracy, conspiracy, cover-up, stonewalling, covert action: Just another decade at the Department of Justice By Richard L. Fricker But prior to his arrest in 1991, Riconosciuto provided the Hamiltons with an affidavit that once again brought Brian into the Inslaw picture. "I engaged in some software development and modification work in 1983 and 1984 on proprietary PROMIS computer software product," he stated. "The copy of PROMIS on which I worked came from the US Department of Justice. Earl W. Brian made it available to me through Wackenhut (a security company with close FBI and CIA connections) after acquiring it from Peter Videnieks, who was then a Department of Justice contracting official with the responsibility for PROMIS software. I performed the modifications to PROMIS in Indio, Calif.; Silver Springs, Md.; and Miami, Fla." The modifications included a telecommunications "trap door" that would let the US Government eavesdrop on any other organization using the pirated software, Riconosciuto said. Although Brian denies any involvement with Inslaw or Riconosciuto, the House Judiciary Committee received a report from a special task force of the Riverside County, Calif., Sheriff's Office and District Attorney, stating that on the evening of Sept. 10, 1981, arms dealers, buyers and various intelligence operatives gathered at the Cabazon Indian Reservation near Indio, Calif., for a demonstration of night warfare weapons. The demonstration was orchestrated jointly by Wackenhut and the Cabazon Indian tribe. (Many published reports allege that the Wackenhut/Cabazon joint venture served as a weapons fencing operation for Oliver North's Iran- Contra dealings.) Bad BillyG involved in that mess? A Player To Be Named Later shook his head negatively, to himself. It seemed unlikely, but it would explain a few things which had been troubling him, lately. And it would mean that the anonymous poster knew enough intimate details of an event that had been shrouded in deep secrecy to pose a threat to all those connected with the Indio affair. It would also explain the apparently strange ending to a major play by the news and computer industry heavyweights calling themselves the 'Internet Content Coalition' that the anonymous post seemed to be threatening. For starters, Microsoft made an immediate about-face, within hours of the anonymous post, on their plans to include technology supporting the Internet Content Coalition's aims in their next version of Internet Explorer. >From - Wed Aug 06 19:31:05 1997 From: nobody(a)neva.org (Neva Remailer) Subject: MicroGorilla Postpones Rocket-Launch Plans Until..."likely sometime next year." >Anonymous wrote: > > The "Not-News Gorilla NutWork" was rocket-launched in the Mohave Desert > > early yesterday morning by a rag-tag bunch of paramilitarist computer > > gurus who unveiled an InterNet Bill of Bytes that included the words, > > "MicroSoft shall make no laws..." Steven Vonder Haar wrote, the very next day: > Microsoft Corp. has tabled plans to include new technology in its > Internet Explorer 4.0 browser that would have made "news" oriented > sites exempt from content rating standards promoted for use on the > Internet. >Anonymous wrote: > > Angered by a self-appointed council of computer industry magnates who > > have announced their intention to seize fascist control of the quickly > > burgeoning Information Highway by controlling the definition of all > > information, the rebels set up a shooting range which contained a wide > > variety of targets ranging from copies of the Wall Street Journal to > > life-sized cardboard cut-outs of a hooded figure referred to only as, > > "a billionaire to be named later." Steven Vonder Haar wrote, the very next day: > RSAC President C. Dianne Martin said Microsoft is running out of time > to implement the separate designation for news sites before the launch > of the 4.0 version of Explorer later this year. >Anonymous wrote: > > "We have decided on two classes of ratings." explained a tassel- > > haired young woman as she slid shells into a Winchester Defender > > sitting on her lap. "On..." she said, lifting the shotgun with one > > hand, then liberating the hooded head from a nearby cardboard cut-out, > > before turning back to say, with a Cheshire grin, "...and off." Steven Vonder Haar wrote, the very next day: > However, the company > plans to include the news designation in the 5.0 version of Explorer > when it is made available..."likely sometime next year." There wasn't much doubt that 'Nobody' was pointing out to one and all that the Internet Content Coalition was under siege, and that the opening salvo by 'Anonymous' had brought the largest corporation in history to its knees, in surrender. A bold claim, but would this declaration of war in the battle of the giants to seize control of the official reigns of news and information on the InterNet be backed up in the end, by across the board results? A Player To Be Named Later pored over a FreeAmerica report on the resurrection of the Inslaw ghosts in the mid-1990's. Federal Corruption INSLAW Copyright FreeAmerica and Harry V. Martin, 1995 Congressman Jack Brooks of Texas has opened a new investigation into the INSLAW case. Brooks is investigating allegations that Justice Department officials, including Meese, conspired to force INSLAW into bankruptcy in order to deliver the firm's software to a rival company. The rival firm, according to court records and law enforcement officials, was headed by Earl W. Brian, a former Cabinet officer under then California Governor Ronald Reagan and a longtime friend of several high-ranking Republican officials. [Earl W. Brian! Who had seized control of United Press International (UPI) in a deal every bit as shady as the Inslaw affair] On March 21, 1992, [Michael] Riconoscuito stated in an affidavit to the Court and Congress, and before he was arrested, the following: * During the 1980s he served as the Director of Research for a joint venture between the Wackenhut Corporation of Coral Gables, Florida, and the Cabazon Band of Indians of Indio, California. The joint venture was located on the Cabazon reservation. [Near the Salton Sea, a long-time haunt of the Author, who brought a strange variety of computer gurus to the area, purportedly for Corvina fishing, but what was the real story about their travels there?] * The Wackenhut-Cabazon joint venture sought to develop and/or manufacture certain materials that are used in military and national security operations, including night vision goggles, machine guns, fuel- air explosives, and biological and chemical warfare weapons. * The Wackenhut-Cabazon joint venture was intended to support the needs of a number of FOREIGN governments and forces, including forces and governments in Central America and the Middle East. The Contras in Nicaragua represented one of the most important priorities for the joint venture. * The Wackenhut-Cabazon joint venture maintained close liaison with 'certain elements' of the United States Government, including representatives of intelligence, military and law enforcement agencies. * Among the frequent visitors to the Wackenhut-Cabazon joint venture were Peter Videnieks of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and a close associate of Videnieks by the name of Earl W. Brian. Brian is a private businessman who lives in Maryland and who has maintained close business ties with the U.S. intelligence community for many years. * The purpose of the PROMIS software modification that I made in 1983 and 1984 was to support a plan for the implementation of PROMIS in law enforcement and intelligence agencies worldwide. Earl W. Brian was spearheading the plan for this worldwide use of the PROMIS computer software. * Some of the modifications that I made were specifically designed to facilitate the implementation of PROMIS within two agencies of the Government of Canada: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS). Earl W. Brian would check with me from time to time to make certain that the work would be completed in time to satisfy the schedule for the RCMP and CSIS implementations of PROMIS. [The RCMP and CSISthe same entities that the Author had shared a Russian language class with in Regina, Saskatchewan, just before the Moscow Olympics. Who had he encountered in that group who would later be instrumental in acquiring the PROMIS software for the Canadians?] * The propriety version of PROMIS, as modified by me, was, in fact implemented in both the RCMP and the CSIS in Canada. It was my understanding that Earl W. Brian had sold this version of PROMIS to the Government of Canada. * A Player To Be Named Later suddenly remembered the email to the CypherPunks mailing list and the corporate headquarters of the Internet Content Coalition that had been forwarded from the LMBoyd Website, which was known to be a forum for the Circle of Eunuchs to send veiled messages to set the stage for their more pointed attacks on the Dark Forces. It was an email that was sent out when the dark specter of the Internet Content Coalition first began to flex their muscles. >From - Fri Jul 25 19:38:14 1997 Subject: Sampler: July 25 To: multiple recipients of <sampler(a)lmboyd.com> ====================================================== The serial killer does in one person at a time in intervals. The mass killer murders however many in a single mad rampage. The mass killer is usually suicidal. The serial killer isn't. Q. Does any animal deliberately stalk human beings for food? A. None but the polar bear. At least, such is the claim of the experts. ====================================================== LMBoyd Web Site / U. S. Newspapers / Start Email / Stop Email http://www.LMBoyd.com/postscript.htm "Of course!" A Player To Be Named Later slapped his forehead, amazed that he had not seen the connection sooner between the 'mass murderer, serial killer stalking humans from the North' email, the Not-News threat singling out "a billionaire to be named later," and the email sent to the Internet Content Coalition players just before they held the meeting where they effectively folded their hand in their attempt to take over control over defining what was 'official' news on the InterNet, and what was not. He reread, once again, the anonymous post sent just hours before the Internet Content Coalition's grand agenda bit the dust: "In July, Anson Ng, a reporter for the Financial Times of London was shot and KILLED in Guatemala. He had reportedly been trying to interview an American there named Jimmy Hughes, a one-time director of security for the Cabazon Indian Reservation secret projects. "In April, a Philadelphia attorney named Dennis Eisman was found DEAD, killed by a single bullet in his chest. According to a former federal official who worked with Eisman, the attorney was found dead in the parking lot where he had been due to meet with a woman who had crucial evidence to share substantiating Riconosciuto's claims. "Both Eisman's and Ng's deaths were declared 'suicides' by authorities. "Fred Alvarez, a Cabazon tribal leader who was in vocal opposition to the developments on the reservation, was found SHOT TO DEATH WITH TWO FRIENDS in 1981. Their murder remains unsolved. At last, the whole bizarre, implausible scenario finally came together in A Player To Be Named Later's mind. The Author's presence near the belly of the beast in Indio had not been a mere coincidence. When the Internet Content Coalition made their move, the Circle of Eunuchs already had the information they needed to connect several of the players in the proposed news cartel with the trail of deaths surrounding both those involved in the INSLAW debacle and the reporters closing in on the real story involved. And they had made it more than plain that some of those involved in the Wackenhut-Cabazon arms deals were now playing for the oppositionand that bullets don't discriminate between the rich and the poor. A Player To Be Named Later was still mystified as to how the Magic Circle had been able to pull off such a bold, in-your-face maneuver on some of the Titans of the news and computer industries. In the early days, after the dissemination of "The Xenix Chainsaw Massacre" had begun in 1989, the Circle of Eunuchs had come under fierce attack from a variety of sources from within the secret government hunting them. Mysterious deaths, established careers going up in flames, overnight. The Magic Circle had quickly disappeared far into the underground of computer society. Then, the Circle had begun to show their hand, more and more, now reaching the point where they could apparently do battle with the heavyweights working behind the scenes with Gomez and the Dark Allies. But A Player To Be Named Later hadn't seen any indication that the Circle of Eunuchs had managed to gain possession of a hole-card that could account forunless "Casolaro!" A Player To Be Named Later whispered, as if speaking the name aloud might bring down fire from the heavens. Quickly, he did a disk search for a vaguely remembered article from Conspiracy Nation Forwarded: >From the Patriot Archives ftp site at: ftp://tezcat.com/patriot Conspiracy Nation -- Vol. 3 Num. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ("Quid coniuratio est?") THE OCTOPUS =========== By Karen Bixman (For The People *News Reporter*, 11/14/94) On the morning of August 11, 1991, Danny Casolaro was found dead in the bathroom of his hotel room at the Sheraton Hotel in Martinsburg, West Virginia. His wrists had been slashed ten times; his briefcase and notes were missing. The authorities labeled the death a suicide, and before Casolaro's family had been contacted, the body was embalmed. ----------------------------------------------------------------- If you would like "Conspiracy Nation" sent to your e-mail address, send a message in the form "subscribe conspire My Name" to listproc(a)prairienet.org -- To cancel, send a message in the form "unsubscribe conspire" to listproc(a)prairienet.org but with absolutely nothing in the subject line of the message. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Damn! He had nailed it! Karen Bixman's article had confirmed everything that A Player To Be Named Later had increasingly suspected as his mind pored over the mountain of information which had seemed so tentatively, but treacherously, related. Bixman had laid down an utterly astounding, twisted trail of closely connected, mysterious deaths and blatant murders surrounding the INSLAW and Iran-Contra misdeeds that completed the connections between the past and current players in the battle for control of world supremacy in computer information and communications. What's more, the timing of the disappearance of Danny Casolaro's extensive notes on the winding serpent of evil surrounding these affairs coincided with the Magic Circle's unmistakable reentry into manifest participation in the battle against the Evil One and the Dark Forces under his command. The Coupe de Gras, however, was the source of the Conspiracy Nation newsletter. Prairienet.org! From whence sprang the apparently unrelated Bureau42 clique who had seized the opportunity to host 'The True Story of the InterNet' transcripts, despite the troubled and bloody history of those who had done so in the past. Bianca had mentioned to Mike Denney, at Basis Inc., that she had been prepared to hack the Bureau42 servers when they came under attack upon placing 'Part II' and 'Part III' on their system, but that they had managed to clear up the problems that developed on their own, and had done so in a surprisingly short period of time. Only one thing was still bothering A Player To Be Named Later. Microsoft had been the first member of the Internet Content Coalition to publicly fold their hand in the battle to control news and information ratings across the InterNet, but Gates seemed, on the surface, to be less visibly connected to the extremely messy past misconduct of the others, and thus seemed to have the least to lose if the shit hit the fan. Gate's quick concession to the veiled threats had definitely been the catalyst in causing the hasty retreat of the other members of the news cartel that had seemed to be on the drawing board for quite some time in the plans of Gomez and the Dark Alliesbut why? Bill Gates had not become the richest and most overtly powerful individual on the face of the earth by fighting against the grand designs of the Evil One, but he seemed to be playing his cards close to his chest, in a manner that suggested that he had an agenda of his own that might not run exactly parallel to that of the Dark Forces. What was BillyG's game? A Player To Be Named Later had been involved in the grand battle taking place behind the scenes of everyday reality for long enough to know that it was all done with mirrors. "And each man, in his time, plays many parts." he said, perplexed for the moment. "To Shakespeare!" A Player To Be Named Later said, lifting his glass in toast. "A member of the Magic Circle, if there ever was one." "If there ever was one" he repeated, smiling at his unintentional inside joke. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Shadow was watching Bad BillyG closely, for any sign of subterfuge in his inner demeanor. "You're certain about Blanc Weber?" he asked, once again. "Well, I could be wrong, but we've investigated her thoroughly, and every indication is that all that nonsense about her development of the HydroCube is just that-nonsense." BillyG shrugged his shoulders, apparently unconcerned with what he regarded as a small, internal company matter. "I could have her isolated, but I don't really see much point. If she is hiding something, then it's probably better not to let her know how closely she is being monitored. Perhaps you should put some of the Dark Allies on her tail for a while, in case there is something that my people have missed." "No, I don't think that will be necessary." the Shadow replied, casually. He had instructed his men to monitor Blanc Weber's movements and activities months ago, as well as those of the spooks Bad BillyG had assigned to watch her. His own spooks had likewise turned up nothing positive, but he had pressed the matter with Gates in order to judge his reaction just the same. "Well, her digital implant went according to plan," BillyG added, "so we will be able to yank her chain on a moment's notice, if it becomes necessary to do so, in the future." The "billionaire to be named later" sat back and allowed himself to indulge in the luxury of looking forward to the moment when A Player To Be Named Later would find out much, much more than he really wanted to know about Bad BillyG's plans for the tattered remnants of the Magic Circle who were attempting to interfere with his own vision of the direction the future of the InterNet should take at this nadir point in time, when the battle for control of virtual reality was about to explode into every single facet of human life ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bubba Rom Dos thought about the forefather of his technical namesake, who had so far managed to walk with the Evil One as far as the bridge in his rise to riches, fame and power a hundred years in the past. The Cowboy, Priscilla, Alexis, Jonathan, and d'Shauneaux were likewise joined with him in contemplation of this paradoxical figure from the past whose role in the great battle between the Forces of Light and the Forces of Darkness had remained an enigma throughout the history and legends of the Circle of Eunuchs. Friend or foe, there was no denying that Billy the Kid was going to play a major role in the direction that the thundering train of history was about to take as it approached the crossroads of destiny on its way to an ElectroMagnetic Future where freedom would hinge on the free flow of Taoist bytes routing around the enslaving chains of Fascist bits that Gomez and the Dark Allies had been carefully laying in place since the dawn of the Computer Era. Bubba Rom Dos, sage and savant, deviant and derelict, raised a glass of "Bubba's Special Reserve" in toast, proclaiming as the tattered remnants of the Magic Circle joined him in his libations, "To Billy the Kidor Bad BillyGto the things that he didor to what he may be" The Trei Transponder began softly humming in the background, as if trying to tell the small assembly something very, very important for them to know. Then it fell silent Copyright "Anonymous TruthMonger <billg(a)microsoft.com>" "That's not a government backdoor <bug>. It's a hacker's backdoor <feature>." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Xenix Chainsaw Massacre" "WebWorld & the Mythical Circle of Eunuchs" "InfoWar (Part III of 'The True Story of the InterNet') Soviet Union Sickle of Eunuchs Secret WebSite ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Baby Bells Join In Fighting US Encryption Control
by Joe Acosta 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>From <http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/970923/tech/stories/encrypt_2.html> [ Yahoo | Write Us | Search | Info ] [ Index | News | World | Biz | Tech | Politic | Sport | Scoreboard | Entertain | Health ] [ Reuters | Wired | ZDNet ] Tuesday September 23 10:04 AM EDT Baby Bells Join In Fighting US Encryption Control By Aaron Pressman WASHINGTON - Five of the influential "Baby Bell" regional telephone companies on Monday joined a coalition urging Congress to reject a proposal that would give U.S. law enforcement agencies access to otherwise secure computer files. The phone companies, along with dozens of high-tech companies and business groups, signed a letter opposing proposed limits on encryption technology used to protect computer files from outside access or interference. Louis Freeh, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has urged Congress to enact the limits. The Baby Bells and other opponents of encryption limits sent their letter to U.S. Rep. Thomas Bliley, Republican of Virginia, chairman of the House Commerce Committee. Later this week, the committee is expected to consider an encryption bill authored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican. Prompted by Freeh, the committee is currently leaning toward amending Goodlatte's encryption bill to impose new limits. Five Baby Bells -- Ameritech, Bell Atlantic Corp., BellSouth Corp. , SBC Communications and US West -- signed the letter opposing the restrictions. Other groups signing the letter ranged across the political spectrum from civil libertarians at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) to conservatives at Americans for Tax Reform. This would be a direct hit at the telecommunications infrastructure," said CDT executive director Jerry Berman who helped organize Monday's letter. It's an unmitigated disaster. " The letter was also signed by International Business Machines, which had previously been seen as one of the few companies not openly opposing the Clinton administration's policy restricting encryption exports. But the domestic limits being considered by the Commerce Committee would go well beyond current policy. Encryption products, which scramble information and render it unreadable without a password or software key," are increasingly being used to secure communications and electronic commerce over the Internet. But the FBI and other law enforcement agencies argue that encryption will also be used by criminals and terrorists to thwart wiretaps and police surveillance. The amendment being considered by the committee would require all encryption products sold in the United States to include a back door" allowing the government to crack any message covertly. [ SNIP for FAIR USE ]

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Random character stereograms and stego
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Here's an application which is well suited for steganography. This is a random-character stereogram. Look at it with a monospace font and unfocus your eyes so the two blocks of text merge, and you will see the message HI displayed: VGhpcyBpcyBhIHRlc3Qg VGhpcyBpcyBhIHRlc3Qg bWVzc2FnZSB3aGljaCBp bWVc2AFnZB3xaGljaCBp cyBiZWluZyBzZW50IHZp cyBZWmluZBzvZW50IHZp YSBzdGVnYW5vZ3JhcGh5 YSBdGVnYW5v9Z3JhcGh5 LgpIYWQgdGhpcyBiZWVu LgpYW1QgdhpBcyBiZWVu IGFuIGFjdHVhbCBtZXNz IGFIGoFjdVhXbCBtZXNz YWdlLCBpdCB3b3VsZCBo YWdlLCBpdCB3b3VsZCBo YXZlIGJlZW4gZW5jcnlw YXZIGJlZW4vgZW5jcnlw dGVkCnVzaW5nIGEgbWV0 dGVkCVzaUW5nIGEgbWV0 aG9kIHdoaWNoIHByb2R1 aG9kIdoa4WNoIHByb2R1 Y2VzIG91dHB1dCB3aGlj Y2VzI91dAHB1dCB3aGlj aCBpcyBpbmRpc3Rpbmd1 aCBcyBpbmRnpc3Rpbmd1 aXNoYWJsZQpmcm9tIHJh aXNoYWJsZQpmcm9tIHJh bmRvbSBieXRlcy4K bmRvbSBieXRlcy4K This was just done manually, so it's pretty crude. It would be easy to write a program to display any message desired. People could get in the habit of sending long vertical stereograms saying "GO GIANTS" or "MICROSOFT SUX" or whatever they felt like at the moment. The program could either generate its own random numbers or else suck in random data from a disk file. In this case, if you take the left block and reformat it so that it can be base64 decoded, you will see a short message. (Unix users can pass the left block through "mimencode -u".) In a real stego application the message would be encrypted in 'stealth' form so it was indistinguishable from random bits to anyone who did not hold the decryption key. This could even catch on as a legal "thumb your nose at the spooks" fad, people adding random sterograms at the end of their messages. You could even have an active .sig which had a constant message but used different random characters each time. They wouldn't actually be sending anything but there would be no way to be sure. Some people say they'll just forbid transmitting data that looks random, but realistically, that would be very unlikely to happen.

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Mail archive now available for Crowds mailing list
by Avi Rubin 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

There is now a hypertext archive of the crowds-talk mailing list at http://www.research.att.com/projects/crowds/archive/ It will be updated regularly.

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SAFE Bill and CongressCritter Staffs
by Brian B. Riley 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 >1. Pick up the phone and call as many of the four > leading members of the Commerce committee as you can: > > Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-VA) (202) 225-2815 > Ranking member John Dingell (D-MI) (202) 225-4071 > Rep. Tauzin (R-LA) (202) 225-4031 > Rep. Markey (D-MA) (202) 225-2836 > >2. Ask for the staffer that handles the encryption issue. I called Bliley and Dingell, their offices are saying there is no dedicated 'staffer' on encryption, that its all being handled by Commerce Committee staff, both offices forwarded my call to the same Commerce staff person. The staff person says that right now there are no amendments formally being considered. That Oxley/Manton is just talk for the moment. Anyway I spoke my piece and said I encouraged the congressman to resist any amendments to HR695. He thanked me and said goodbye. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0 Charset: noconv iQA/AwUBNCggQsdZgC62U/gIEQL7uACeKZeTN50JoiIO7WKhRbFPVWrjFV8AnAi1 XyP8wXVHO0MMAGakzq5Sg39l =d4wo -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Brian B. Riley --> http://www.macconnect.com/~brianbr For PGP Keys <mailto:brianbr@together.net?subject=Get%20PGP%20Key> "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. -- Martin Luther King Jr.

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Re: The great GAK crack (making GAK economically impossible) (fwd)
by Jim Choate 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Forwarded message: > Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 17:36:01 -0400 (EDT) > From: Ray Arachelian <sunder(a)brainlink.com> > Subject: Re: The great GAK crack (making GAK economically impossible) > That all depends on how they are set up to accept such key requests. Fer > instance, say they set up a nice litte web site that takes in credit > cards... can we say ping flood boys and girls? Can you say 'trace'? > Suppose they set up a mail in system where you have to mail letters to > them. We simply go through every magazine we find and send subscribtion > requests to that address. As most mags will happily send a free issue > this will do wonders... Send them to "Joe Smith, Care Of Key Escrow..." Can you say 'mail fraud'? > If they set up a phone line, we call the phone line and keep it busy... Can you say 'phone trace'? > If they set up a system whereby mistakes have to be refiled, then we > simply all march down there and demand that we get our keys registered and > we always make mistakes in something or other, or we forget our ID's. This works if it happens to be in the current location of an individual, seems pretty unworkable considering the geographic distribution of cpunks. > Denial of service attacks are always possible somehow or other... It's a > question of what we're willing to donate to the effort. Provided you can pay the bill to keep it going AND you use some form of anonymity (which I doubt you could hold up for long). ____________________________________________________________________ | | | The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there | | be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves. | | | | -Alan Greenspan- | | | | _____ 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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Congress & Crypto Roundup: Vote in Commerce cmte tomorrow
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Both sides of the crypto-debate spent today jockeying for position before an important vote tomorrow in the House Commerce committee. At issue is whether the panel will follow the lead of the Intelligence committee and restrict your ability to protect your privacy with whatever technology you want. Law enforcement officials are pressing for a secret backdoor, and Rep. Oxley was planning to offer a proposal (Oxley I) giving them just that. * Today Oxley circulated a revised proposal that I think of as Oxley II. It's designed to respond to some of the criticisms: http://www.cdt.org/crypto/legis_105/SAFE/Oxley_Manton_rev.html * Law professors sent a letter criticizing Oxley I: http://www.law.miami.edu/~froomkin/lawprof-letter.htm * Yesterday dozens of groups -- from Apple to USWest -- sent out a letter criticizing Oxley I. (It's attached below.) The question is now: how many of these groups will oppose Oxley II? * Oxley is trying to carve off pieces of the alliance and get the Baby Bells not to oppose Oxley II, Reuters reports below. Also, grassroots law enforcement groups -- including some from California -- are sending their own letters to support Oxley. * Rep. Rick White is trying to cut a deal; he's proposing alternative, compromise language. A note from his staff is attached below. * Scientific and engineering professional societies, too, weighed in. I've attached their note at the end of this message. -Declan -------------- >From White's staff: >Congressman Rick White will offer an alternative to the Oxley/Manton >substitute in order to preserve the SAFE bill while addressing some of >the concerns of the law enforcement community. > >The White alternative would: > >1) Give law enforcement the tools they needs. The alternative would >create a National Electronic Technologies Center (NETCenter) to serve >local, state and federal law enforcement authorities by providing >information and assistance regarding decryption technologies and >techniques. In addition the NETCenter would give law enforcement access >to the tools they need to keep pace with changing technologies. > >2) Tough on those who commit crimes by using encryption. The >alternative doubles the allowable jail time for those who break the law >and commit crime and try to hide their tracks by use of encryption. > >3) Study. There has never been a study on a domestic key recovery >system and the recent proposal by the FBI. The White alternative calls >for a six month study of domestic key recovery system to determine its >effectiveness. > >4) Americans should not have to turn over the keys to their electronic >security. The 4th Amendment protects our individual right(s) to keep >protect our "effects." The White alternative states that the federal >government and the States cannot restrict the use of domestic encryption >technologies and cannot condition the issuance of certificates of >authentication -- which many believe will be necessary for electronic >commerce to succeed -- on the use of a government-blessed key recovery >system for encryption. -------- September 22, 1997 The Hon. Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. Chairman House Commerce Committee 2125 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman Bliley: We are writing to express our strong opposition to the Oxley-Manton amendment to HR 695, the Security and Freedom through Encryption Act (SAFE), which the Commerce Committee will consider this week, and to any form of government domestic controls on encryption. The Oxley-Manton amendment would impose unprecedented restrictions on the domestic manufacture and availability of encryption, thus potentially compromising the security of the nation's telephone system and the Internet alike. The amendment would: * prohibit the domestic manufacture, sale and importation of any encryption product or service unless the government is given immediate access to the plaintext of communications and stored files without the knowledge of the user; * prohibit network service providers, including telephone companies and Internet service providers, from offering encryption products or services unless communications can be immediately read without the knowledge of the user; and * give the Attorney General unprecedented, broad new powers to establish standards for encryption products and services. Encryption technologies are the vital tools consumers and businesses need to operate with security and privacy in the information age, and are a cornerstone of electronic commerce. Government domestic controls on encryption are incompatible with the consumer, corporate, and national security benefits of the national information infrastructure. Numerous communications products and services are now under development that incorporate encryption as an essential feature. Oxley-Manton will stifle these new products and services, end the deployment of market-driven key recovery systems, and undermine the potential of the new communications media for electronic commerce and the promotion of democratic values. * Strong encryption will not only ensure privacy but also help prevent crime on the network. However, by mandating trap doors in all domestic encryption products and communications networks, the Oxley-Manton amendment will make the personal records and communications of individuals and businesses more vulnerable to hackers, terrorists, industrial spies and other criminals. Put at risk will be medical records, tax returns, private email, business proprietary information and transactions, attorney-client communications, and cellular phone conversations. * Oxley-Manton's broad requirement for "immediate access" to decryption keys without knowledge of the user would force Americans to forfeit their constitutional right of privacy as a condition of participating in the information age. * Oxley-Manton invites disastrous industrial policy. It is industrial policy with criminal sanctions attached. The amendment authorizes the Attorney General to promulgate technical requirements for all encryption products and gives the Department of Justice prior approval authority over all encryption systems for computers and telecommunications. This will stifle innovation. It will drive encryption expertise out of this country. The market should be allowed to develop its own solutions, many of which in fact will meet law enforcement's needs within our existing system of legal authorities and safeguards. * Oxley-Manton will be ineffective in keeping strong encryption out of the hands of criminals. Criminals and terrorist groups will not use a system that gives the government access to their decryption keys. In fact, the FBI has admitted in Congressional testimony that criminals will always have access to strong unbreakable encryption. We urge the Committee to reject the Oxley-Manton amendment and any other form of domestic encryption control. Sincerely, ACL Datacom, Inc., California American Electronics Association American Automobile Manufacturers Association Americans for Tax Reform America Online, Inc. Ameritech ANS Communications, Inc., New York Apple Computer, Inc. Ashton Communications Corp., California and Texas Bell Atlantic Bell South Bowles Farming Co., Inc. Business Software Alliance Center for Democracy and Technology Commercial Internet eXchange Association CommerceNet Compaq Computer Corp. CompuServe, Inc. Computer & Communications Industry Association Computer Software Industry Association Consumer Electronic Manufacturers Association Counsel Connect Crest Industries, Inc. DataXchange Network, Inc. Direct Marketing Association Electronic Data Systems, Corp. Electronic Frontier Foundation Electronic Messaging Association Epoch Internet Fiber Network Solutions, Inc., Columbus, Ohio Genuity Inc., a Bechtel company IBM Corp. Information Technology Association of America Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - US Activities International Communications Association Intuit Inc. Internet Providers Association of Iowa Microsoft National Association of Manufacturers NETCOM On-Line Communication Services, Inc. NetINS, Inc., Iowa Novell Online Banking Association National Association of Manufacturers National Retail Federation Netscape Communications Corp. Phoenix Media/Communications Group Pro-Trade Group PGP, Inc. RSA Data Security, Inc. SBC Communications Inc. Securities Industry Association Silicon Valley Software Industry Coalition Software Forum Software Publishers Association Sun Microsystems, Inc. TheOnRamp Group, Inc., Ohio Trusted Information Systems United States Council for International Business United States Internet Council United States Telephone Association U.S. Chamber of Commerce US West Voters Telecommunications Watch --- Lawmakers try to get Baby Bells out of code debate By Aaron Pressman WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuter) - With a Congressional panel set to vote Wednesday on a proposal to impose domestic controls on encryption, lawmakers backing the limits worked furiously to convince telephone companies not to oppose them. Late Tuesday, officials at the five "Baby Bell" regional phone companies said they had not decided if last-minute changes to the proposal addressed their concerns. On Monday, the five companies joined dozens of high-tech firms and business and Internet groups in a letter opposing the proposal authored by Ohio Republican Rep. Mike Oxley. The restrictions, which would require all products sold in the United States to include features allowing the government to covertly decode any encrypted data, had been building strong momentum in Congress over the past month. And until the telephone company opposition surfaced two weeks ago, the proposal was expected to be adopted easily by the House Commerce Committee. But the opposition of the influential Baby Bells stopped the process and the committee decided to put off an earlier vote until Wednesday. In a recent revision, Oxley agreed to remove provisions which required network service providers such as the phone companies to provide immediate access to coded communications. Lawyers for the phone companies met Tuesday but did not reach a decision on the changes, according to Bell South spokesman Bill McCloskey. "The meeting ended inconclusively," McCloskey said. "We have no verdict." Oxley's office remained confident that changes could be made to mollify the phone companies. "We will get them onboard, there's no doubt," one staffer said. While lawmakers worked to assuage the concerns of the Baby Bells, and added a provision to appease the banking industry, leading science groups and law professors separately issued new statements on Tuesday completely opposing the Oxley restrictions. Professors from 23 law schools, including Yale, Harvard and Stanford, said the restrictions were a "profound mistake" that would "contravene fundamental principles of our constitutional tradition." Leading science, mathematics and engineering groups said the restrictions were impeding on the advance of cryptography research thus making all computer networks, including the Internet, less secure. The Oxley proposal will be considered as an amendment to a bill by Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte that began as an effort to loosen strict U.S. export controls on encrypotion products and preclude domestic restrictions. Rep. Rick White, Republican of Washington, said Tuesday he would offer an alternative to Oxley's amendment that would meet many of the objections of industry, Internet groups and others. But White's proposal was not endorsed by leading law enforcement agencies that back Oxley's plan. White's plan would establish a center to help law enforcement agencies crack encryption used by criminals, start a study of technologies to allow government access and increase criminal penalties for use of encryption as part of a crime. While two House committees have approved the Goodlatte bill intact, two other panels added tighter export controls and domestic restrictions. After the Commerce Committee's vote, the bill goes to the House Rules Committee which must reconcile the competitng versions. No action is expected on the bill by the full House this year. ((--202-898-8312)) Tuesday, 23 September 1997 19:47:13 RTRS [nN2351141] --- PRESS RELEASE SEPTEMBER 24, 1997 LEADING US SCIENTIFIC, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING SOCIETIES PROTEST RESTRICTIONS ON CRYPTOGRAPHY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The leading U.S. scientific, mathematics, and engineering societies sent a united message to Congress today protesting proposed U.S. cryptography policies that would maintain export restrictions limiting the open exchange of scientific information and the progress of scientific research and development. In addition, these organizations warned that new requirements for domestic key recovery raise serious scientific and technical problems that undermine its viability as a policy alternative. In a letter to the House Commerce Committee, the societies indicated that the policies will "diminish the scientific reputation of the United States and weaken us economically." This is the first time these highly influential societies have united to inform Congress how cryptography policies will effect the future of scientific research and development in the U. S. Until now, the debate has focused on commercial, civil liberties, and national security/ law enforcement interests. The House Commerce Committee will vote today on proposed legislation removing restrictions on the export of encryption products. However, amendments to this language were passed by two House Committees restricting the domestic use of encryption. The letter urges the Committee to reject such proposals or " U.S. leadership in many areas of science and technology is likely to be jeopardized with no discernible benefits to our National Interests." Export controls and domestic restrictions on cryptography development and use impact scientific freedoms in a number of ways. Cryptographers, a specialized subset of computer scientists, mathematicians, and engineers, are unable to communicateare unable to communicate with their colleagues overseas or to participate in international projects aimed at developing a secure GII. The full and open exchange of scientific information facilitated by these organizations has significantly increased the economic strength of the United States. However the proposed new laws would continue to force them to exclude members living outside the United States from this free exchange. According to Dr. Barbara Simons, " The scientific and engineering societies today speak with one voice in urging Congress not to enact cryptography policies which will prohibit scientists from performing important research. If scientists cannot research and develop new cryptographic tools, the future of electronic commerce may be in jeopardy." CONTACTS: Dr. Barbara Simons Chair U.S. Public Policy Committee for the Association for Computing phone: 408:256-3661 pager: 1-888-329-3091 pager id: 2533409 e-mail simons(a)VNET.IBM.COM Dr. Peter Neumann U.S. Public Policy Committee for the Association for Computing email: neumann(a)csl.sri.com Ed Lazowska Chair, Computer Science University of Washington e-mail: lazowska(a)cs.washington.edu phone: 206 543 4755 David L. Waltz President, American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) e-mail: waltz(a)research.nj.nec.com phone: 609-951-2700 fax: 609-951-2483 Irving Lerch Co-Chair, Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility American Association for the Advancement of Science phone: 301 209 3236 Mary Gray Co-Chair, Scientific Freedom and Responsibility American Association for the Advancement of Science phone: 202 885 3171 Staff: Lauren Gelman 202/544-4859 gelman(a)acm.org Alex Fowler 202/ 326-7016 afowler(a)aaas.org September 24, 1997 Dear Chairman Bliley: As representatives of the leading scientific, mathematics, and engineering societies in the United States, we are writing to protest current and proposed U.S. cryptography policies that restrict the open exchange of scientific information and the progress of scientific research and development. We object to national policies that criminalize the use of cryptography that is not approved by the Administration or that mandate domestic key recovery schemes. The leadership that the United States currently enjoys in research and development of encryption algorithms, cryptographic products, and computer security technology will be seriously eroded, if not essentially eliminated, by misguided proposals to restrict the domestic use of encryption. o The development of strong cryptographic technology is crucial to the further growth of our electronic infrastructure. Encryption protects the security and privacy of communications and stored data. A lack of strong universally available encryption exacerbates security problems on personal computers, intranets, and the world-wide Internet. A recent National Academy of Sciences study warned against the government's premature reliance on key recovery as an encryption technique. It urged that the method be deployed in test situations first to work out problems. This has not been done. o Our organizations publish numerous scientific journals and conference proceedings, often relying on the Internet for publication. The free exchange of scientific information facilitated by our organizations has significantly increased the economic strength of the United States. But the proposed new laws would continue to force us to exclude members living outside the United States from this free exchange. The result would diminish the scientific reputation of the United States and weaken us economically. o It is unreasonable and probably unconstitutional to distinguish between printed and electronic distribution of encryption source code. U.S. policy should not create an artificial distinction between paper and electronic versions of a document. o U.S. scientists and engineers involved with research and development of cryptographic tools cannot publish their results using electronic media, are restricted in their efforts to educate the next generation of computer scientists, and cannot communicate with their international colleagues. For example, the U.S. cryptography community has not been able to participate in the Internet Protocol Security project, an effort to develop new international standards for Internet security. o Publication restrictions relating to cryptography have a negative impact on peer review and the development of robust algorithms. To demonstrate that encryption algorithms are secure, cryptographers publish their algorithms and other cryptographers try to break them. Not only does this process tend to identify faulty algorithms, but it is also a precondition for the public to have confidence that the algorithm is secure. o Computer systems currently are plagued by considerable security and privacy weaknesses. These problems will become more widespread as electronic commerce develops and computer systems become ubiquitous. Cryptographers in the U.S. face numerous barriers when addressing computer security issues, and some security researchers may be unwilling to continue their work because they will be restricted in publishing and discussing their research. In conclusion, we urge you to eliminate current policies that stifle the ability of researchers and implementers to study and build cryptographic algorithms, secure information systems, and secure network protocols. Otherwise, U.S. leadership in many areas of science and technology is likely to be jeopardized with no discernible benefits to our National Interests. For more information please contact Barbara Simons at 408/256-3661, Alex Fowler at 202/326-7016 or Lauren Gelman at 202/544-4859. Sincerely, ------------ ------------------------- Declan McCullagh Time Inc. The Netly News Network Washington Correspondent http://netlynews.com/

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Dental-Optical Plan
by doctors2＠kcopk.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hello, we work with a group of your local doctors and dentists and we are offering a Dental - Optical Plan that runs approximately $2 a week for an individual and $3 a week for an entire family with no limit to the number of children. Would you like our office to give you some additional information? Our doctors are grouped by area code and zip code, please list Name Address Area Code Phone Number It is not necessary to quote the entire message back with your reply. Thank you!

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No Subject
by bureau42 Anonymous Remailer 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Subject: A cypherpunks challenge. Received: from 158.43.192.4 (actually max01-056.enterprise.net) by bath.mail.pipex.net with SMTP (PP); Sat, 20 Sep 1997 15:40:32 +0100 Received: from gateway1.ml.org by mail.ml.org (8.8.5/8.6.5) with SMTP id GAA02326 for <visit-our-xxx(a)ml.org>; Sat, 20 Sep 1997 14:36:08 -0600 (EST) Date: Sat, 20 Sep 97 14:36:08 EST From: hucka(a)eecs.umich.edu To: visit-our-xxx(a)ml.org Subject: Shut up. Message-Id: <964dffe172ca4d> Reply-To: postmaster(a)concentric.net X-Pmflags: cum-see-me X-Uidl: 9275163132023367354272390 Comments: Authenticated sender is <root(a)ml.org> Shut up. Do not complain. It's useless. Just shut up you ignorant fools. The great Semyon Varshavchik has spoken. ml.org will *never* shut me down. mrsam(a)concentric.net

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