December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Netcom and Credit Cards
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

"If someone's hacked our systems, we'd certainly like to know about it, although it's very doubtful; more likely, this just someone trying to make you nervous" - Netcom admin, 2600, Summer 1994 "Recent reports indicate that Netcom's credit file, stored online and containing information on all their customers, has been compromised" - 2600 Magazine, Autumn 1994 Netcom claim Mitnick broke in during xmas 94, when the reality is that every half decent hacker had already been there. Netcom are an INTERNET PROVIDER!!! You would expect them to know a thing or two about security. But then again, even security samurais have problems setting up firewalls :-)

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Re: (Fwd) Gov't run anon servers
by jim bell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 10:52 AM 3/4/96 -0800, Hal wrote: >However, if I were a computer-savvy law enforcement agent, and I wanted >to track messages through one of my remailers, I would try a >technological approach. I would first break the key for my remailer. >That is trivial. The passphrase is in PLAINTEXT in the script file >which runs the remailer!. It has to be. That is true of all automated >remailers. Maybe I just don't know much about automated remailers, but I don't understand why you said that the passphrase "has to be" in plaintext in the script file. I find this hard to believe. While I am far from an expert on cryptographic matters, I would assume that any received attempt at a password could be securely hashed (128 bits?) and compared with a pre-stored hash value. If it's the same, it's assumed that the password was correct. What's wrong with this?

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Re: Truelly Random Numbers
by electro 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 06:16 PM 3/3/96 -0500, you wrote: >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > >Mark Allyn 206-860-9454 wrote: >[..] >> Take a piece of non conducting board, say about six by six >> feet. Put electrodes on it; say a pair of electrodes every >> quarter inch or so across and down. >> >> Each pair of electrodes would be connected to logic so that >> it generates a unique number. When the electrodes are shorted, >> the number would be generated. > >Quite elaborate. And unless you live in a rainy part of the world, not >very useful. > >Better off using those contraptions where little steel balls fall around >the electrodes. There's some entropy there... but still, it's too >elaborate for RNG generation. >- --- Well how about putting a 'noise meter' in place of the 'rain sensor' and then just hang it out the window or any place that has some noise.

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Looking for code to run an encrypted mailing list
by John Pettitt 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I'd like to run an encrypted mailing list - the model I'm linking of is this .. Poster cryptes mail with pgp using list exploder key. List exploder decrypts mail and recrypts with keys for all current list members and then sends the mail. [I don't want all the list members to need to know every other list members public key] Before I lanch into hacking majordomo - has anybody done this already or somthing like it ? John -- John Pettitt email: jpettitt(a)well.sf.ca.us (home) jpp(a)software.net (work)

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FUD about Remailers--the Strassman/Marlow "Revelations"
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I didn't imagine that people would take the off-the-wall assertions here seriously, but "Anonymous" seems quite worried, so some comments can't hurt. At 4:40 AM 3/4/96, Anonymous wrote: > >>Both presenters explicitly acknowledged that a number of anonymous >>remnailers in the US are run by government agencies scanning traffic. >>Marlow said that the government runs at least a dozen remailers and that >>the most popular remailers in France and Germany are run by the >>respective government agencies in these countries. In addition they Oh really? And just which remailers are in France and Germany? (Raph's list doesn't show any ".de" or ".fr" sites, at least that I could see. It's possible that a site or two exists in France or Germany, but I'm skeptical. And certainly the "the most popular remailers in France and Germany" is an odd comment.) There are of course remailers in the Netherlands (Hacktic, for example), and Julf's site in Finland. Perhaps Marlow mistook these countries for France and Germany? In any case, the claim that the few sites in Europe are "at least a dozen remailers" and that they are run by the intelligence agencies of France and Germany is specious. I consider it unlikely that the remailer operators are working for the spooks. (Something to consider in the future, and even to be thoughtful about now. But unlikely at this time, with the current players, for various reasons.) Further, as with other recent comments we've seen, the authors seem to misunderstand the nature of chained remailers. These errors, plus the apparently slapdash way the article was cut-and-pasted together (from the Web pages of others, usually without acknowledgement), plus the scare tactic tone, makes me dismiss the entire "paper." >>mentioned that the NSA has successfully developed systems to break >>encrypted messages below 1000 bit of key length and strongly suggested >>to use at least 1024 bit keys. They said that they semselves use 1024 >>bit keys. As others have also noted, just FUD to confuse and scare. > I don't know about everyone else, but I consider this, if true, to be a >MAJOR worry. It never ceases to amaze me how lightly the government takes >lying to the people. Unfortunately I don't have the contacts or resources >to do any further investigation, I hope this thread is resolved one way or >another soon. > >nobody@unimportant "Investigation" can be done by doing what I just did: looking for these supposed "dozens" of the "most popular" remailer sites, looking for them in France or Germany, and not finding them. (Maybe they're secret, known only to CIA, SDECE, and BND operatives? The operative word being "paranoid.") --Tim May Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^756839 - 1 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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RE: FW: Communications Decency Act (hee-hee)
by blanc 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: Timothy C. May This is of course an old idea. Regrettably, the CDA is not based on a simple bright line test invovling the "Seven [exonized] Words," immortalized in the FCC--Carlin--Pacifica case. Rather, "indecent" is broadly interpreted to mean essentially whatever a prosecutor can convince a panel of bluenosed citizens is indecent. .................................................................... Well, if you were prosecuted, you could always explain what it means to kiss your "Gingrich" by pointing to any part of your body you choose. Of course they would be indicating, by their accusations, that they know enough about indecency to become suspicious over the resemblance.... (such sensitive people) .. Blanc

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Re: Duress
by Black Unicorn 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On Sun, 3 Mar 1996, Bill Frantz wrote: > >Of course, all smart air piracy buffs know the transponder code is 7600, > >and refuse to allow the pilots to use it. > > It changes from time to time. Of course subscribing to an IFR chart > service will keep you up-to-date with the changes. You should forward this to the list. > > Regards - Bill > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Bill Frantz | The CDA means | Periwinkle -- Computer Consulting > (408)356-8506 | lost jobs and | 16345 Englewood Ave. > frantz(a)netcom.com | dead teenagers | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA > > > --- My prefered and soon to be permanent e-mail address: unicorn(a)schloss.li "In fact, had Bancroft not existed, potestas scientiae in usu est Franklin might have had to invent him." in nihilum nil posse reverti 00B9289C28DC0E55 E16D5378B81E1C96 - Finger for Current Key Information

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[BABBLE] Like a Rolling Stone
by Robert A. Hayden 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- I just got off the phone with a writer from Rolling Stone magazine. They are going to be doing an article about the Geek Code. Isn't that just groovy? Maybe they'll let me be on the cover and I can do one of those Howard Stern nude things..... -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: PGP Signed with PineSign 2.2 iQCVAwUBMTuPhjokqlyVGmCFAQGzoAQAqdHYz6tMEPlu/4n/nsrYO/eIz96K/ZSJ 44Gzehrtrlw0zg6rpdWab7BzbCapjqJEgnupRsGRVzlQ449LYLVZ2KIHwMfK5zFe 0hS57USj1ShQyqeNv6K2qGmH38n5/U6oAgnpXo8LPBWgkN9zxBI04hiBtoeQrnak UCfeg31EmWU= =Vq8N -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ____ Robert A. Hayden <=> hayden(a)krypton.mankato.msus.edu \ /__ Finger for Geek Code Info <=> Finger for PGP Public Key \/ / -=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=- \/ http://krypton.mankato.msus.edu/~hayden/Welcome.html -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.1 GED/J d-- s:++>: a-- C++(++++)$ ULUO++ P+>+++ L++ !E---- W+(---) N+++ o+ K+++ w+(---) O- M+$>++ V-- PS++(+++)>$ PE++(+)>$ Y++ PGP++ t- 5+++ X++ R+++>$ tv+ b+ DI+++ D+++ G+++++>$ e++$>++++ h r-- y+** ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

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Re: Bombings, Surveillance, and Free Societies
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 1:28 AM 3/5/96, Phillip M. Hallam-Baker wrote: >Timothy C. May wrote: > >>The Red Brigade in Italy sought a fascist crackdown, and >> the "strategy of tension" is common. (And even revolutionists of crypto >> anarchist persuasion often think laws like the CDA are good in the long >> run, by undermining respect for authority and triggering more extreme >> reactions....) > >It is important to note in this regard that the worst bombing in Italy was >the Bologna station bombing, now decisively linked to right wing facist >groups the involvment in which of ex-prime minister Adreotti is shortly to >be examined in a criminal trial. The point being that the extreemists play >into each others hands. Yes, it is hard to know even which side is pulling the strings. The WW2 Italian fascist commando leader, Otto Skorzeny, not only rescued Mussolini from a ski chalet, he also helped set up the PLO in the 1960s, and consulted for the OSS, CIA, and such. (There is much more to say about this, and about the role of the early NSA in such affairs. However, continuing down this path will produce the inevitable perrygrams from the acerbic Mr. Metzger demanding "What does this have to [whatever my current interest is]?")) >> -- expect the various laws about "talking about explosives on the Net" to >> be used to clamp down on various fringe groups > >Hang on here, some of those groups are actively conspiring to commit >terrorist acts. If someone sends a message saying "lets plant a bomb >under a federal building, that will show them" I'm not worried if the >govt. decides to arrest a few people. There is a border between free >speech and conspiracy to murder which some people have crossed. I don't buy this. I said "talking about explosives on the Net," not openly conspiring to plant bombs in federal buildings. A big difference. (Not that I am aware of the OKC bombers discussing their plans on the Usenet.) >> I predict that it will take about 5 more major bombings in European and >> American cities to trigger substantive changes in laws. > >Generally it takes two. The legislation is written after the first and >then staled until being passed on the second. I am sandbagging by saying "5." I wasn't referring to 5 in, say, the U.S., but to 5 or so "horrific" bombs in Western countries, plus Israel. A second Oklahoma City-type bombing may be enough, a Sarin attack that kills 1,000 will almost surely be enough. (In the bigger scheme of things, the 150-200 or so who died in OKC are a drop in the bucket, and I wouldn't advocate _any_ new surveillance laws for them...putting a day care center in a soft target demonstrates the callousness of the Feds.) >> Personally, while I feel sorry for the dead in Israel, I think anyone who >> moves to a small desert state surrounded on all sides by Arabs who want >> their land back is asking for trouble. > >A point to consider is that there are many Isralis born in Israel who have no >other home. These people did not ask to be born in the middle of a desert >state. As with the Irish problem it is easy to solve if one could change >the past. The fundamental problem being that the wrong side won at Hastings. Let me use the language Bill Stewart used a while back, language which skirts the issue of "right" and "wrong" even more neatly than I did (when I said the Jews were "asking for trouble"): "If a religious group uses force to expel the current occupants of a desert region, and expels them to just beyond their borders, it is "unsurprising" that those expelled, and their children, and their children's children, will swear a blood oath to drive the group into the sea." Put another way, I will not be "surprised" to wake up one morning and hear on CNN that Tel Aviv has been vaporized in a nuclear explosion. Nor will I be surprised to similarly learn that Damascus has been vaporized, and so on. Being an atheist, I treat all religious mystics as suspect. When a bunch of people leave London and Chicago and Paris to live in the desert, surrounded by sworn enemies with nuclear capabilities, I think whatever happens to them is...."unsurprising." I hope this makes my outlook clearer. (And Cypherpunks should fully understand that information-trading systems and unbreakably encryption--the very technologies we so ardently are pushing--make certain actions even less "surprising" than might otherwise be the case. Think of it as evolution in action.) --Tim May Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^756839 - 1 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Teach the children well...
by Simon Spero 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I got the latest copy of the latest ComputerWare catalog (they're a big mac dealer). Up front, in there list of new releases was something that looked fun; --- Top Secret Decoder (CD-ROM) Ages 8-12 Mysterious, marvelous, mind-stretching software for kids who love creating and cracking secret codes. Kids'll sharpen their critical-thinking skills and earn top-otc secret agent credentials. Includes 300 code-cracking challenges, spectacular printing, plus 10 difficulty levels. $39.99 Houghton Mifflin Interactive ----- There is no truth to the rumours that they are POTP or IPG licencees. If you beat level 10, an animated Jim Bizdos comes out and does a little dance Take a copy along when you do your visit for NetDay Simon --- They say in online country So which side are you on boys There is no middle way Which side are you on You'll either be a Usenet man Which side are you on boys Or a thug for the CDA Which side are you on? National Union of Computer Operatives; Hackers, local 37 APL-CPIO

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