December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Ecash API about to be released
by jim bell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 10:32 PM 3/21/96 -0800, Lucky Green wrote: >With the Ecash API due to be released within a matter of days, I would >welcome anyone on this list interested in building applications on top of >such an API to contact me. The API will determine the calls to a libecash >that DigiCash will provide. For obvious reasons, I am interested in ecash with full payee, as well as payer, anonymity. Last I heard, Digicash didn't provide this. Any updates?

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New Beta Test of PGPfone available WINDOWS '95 Included!
by jis＠mit.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

(A copy of this message has also been posted to the following newsgroups: alt.security.pgp, sci.crypt) -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- We have finally released a Windows '95 version of PGPfone. This release includes PGPfone for Macintosh version 1.0b6 and PGPfone for Windows '95 version 1.0b1. Note: The Macintosh version does not talk to earlier versions. However the Macintosh and Windows version talk to each other! Connections can be either via modem or the Internet. Note: This code is beta test code. Future changes may continue to be incompatible with these versions. Also Note: We are now only distribution PGPfone via the World Wide Web, we have shutdown the PGPfone FTP site. To get PGPfone over the Web, go to the PGPfone home page at: http://web.mit.edu/network/pgpfone WE CAN ONLY DISTRIBUTE PGPFONE TO U.S. PERSONS AND CANADIAN CITIZENS. -Jeff -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBMVIVssUtR20Nv5BtAQHMLAQAnP6vw+vSwqtvY20T9wjEbSn8jafaUjc2 NPJThVLs9YL0GfuOb0LICJk4I+1W51cJG5CU7McC2gxFSm9DqBmqaemcPUrepY+8 x9WAIUnRI0zhInwOSk7XeRNZLuosve/qruj/OVkttSg4sGo39ZOM43iihSIcwvT/ AeyHbZEKT44= =XqHc -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: Tim's friend's mildly retarded son
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 11:17 PM 3/21/96, E. ALLEN SMITH wrote: > This topic's relevance to Cypherpunks, aside from the confirmations >that you mentioned, is low... aside from that it's of interest to Extropians >such as myself and Tim May. In recent months, a self-appointed group of list members have taken upon themselves to argue that _anything_ that does not have to do with certain topics they find appropriate is "not related to crypto, so take it elsewhere." Regrettably, most reasonable people have grown quiet about anything that smacks of politics or ideology, leaving the field clear for certain ranting lunatics. While I agree that the Cypherpunks list is not a libertarian or socialist theory discussion area, the fact is that crypto is tied intimately to incredibly important policy and jurisprudential areas. The early meetings were not held, and the list was not formed, solely to debate the merits of 3DES vs. IDEA or other crypto arcania, for which sci.crypt and sci.crypt.research already existed. The link between the FDA and crypto is not as much of a reach as some might think. When a government passes what are the equivalent of "dietary laws" (what one may eat, drink, etc.), even if based on supposed studies, this is a major limit on personal freedom. Would members of this list support an FDA-like organization passing judgement on which algorithms are considered "safe and effective" (and by whose standards?)? I mentioned my friend's detour to Mexico to obtain medicine for his son in passing, not to distract the list. I feel, however, that anyone who argues that a group of bureacrats and lawyers in Washington, D.C. have the "right" to send someone to jail for eating something they have decided is evil should reconsider their committment to this position. I have no problem with people deciding that certain foods or herbs or medicines are not to their liking, or are "snake oil," but I have a real problem with them raiding the houses of those who think differently and seizing their property, sending them to prison, etc. Think of the parallels to crypto. Believe me, I don't even want the bozos at IPG to be enjoined from selling their snake oil. Suckers are born every minute, as IPG knows, and I have to 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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Free speech debate on MSN Encarta
by Raph Levien 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

First, a heads-up on the free speech debate on MSN Encarta this month. I found out about it because it was featured (sans URL, of course) on the NBC Nightly News. Here's the URL they missed: http://www.msn.com/encarta/otr/mar/otthis.htm One of the major axes of debate is whether programs like SurfWatch are sufficient to keep pornography out of the hands of children. One concern that was raised more than once is that children tend to be more technically sophisticated ("computer-literate") than parents. I think there is a point there. My dad just got Internet access this afternoon. Basically, all he needed was to install a PPP dialer and Netscape on his Mac, but it was a bit too much for him, so he had a friend come over and help him out. I had tried to guide him over the phone, but that just didn't work out (among other things, Netscape really needs to change their "DNS failure on the following hosts" error message to "you don't have a connection to the Internet, dummy"). Adding SurfWatch or something similar might not have been possible at all. So here's a random idea: have an ISP that essentially firewalls the Internet connection to the house, so that it is very difficult to get unwanted stuff over the wire at all. The ISP can maintain and update the latest high-tech tools, including filtering by URL, filtering by keyword, and other stuff like detecting proxies. While they're at it, they can filter out junk email. Just a random thought. Raph (whose son, Alan Mathison, was born Sunday morning at 5:01 am)

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No Subject
by owner-cypherpunks＠toad.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 1:24 AM 03/20/96, IPG Sales wrote: >Perhaps a battle has been lost, maybe even probably? But the war is not >over, not by a long shot - with minor modifications this system is >absolutely secure as events will prove. However, be assured that we >will not sell our product to anyone until that can be definitively >established. We greatly appreciate the contribution of some of those on You used to claim "our system is absolutely safe, we're sure of it, but we can't tell you the algorithm cause it's secret." People said that was stupid, so you finally agreed to show people the algorithm (apparently sending it to them unsolicited, and then expecting them to be bound to some sort of non-disclosure agreement? You might want to hire a lawyer to familiarize you with how trade secrets work legally, cause they don't work like you think they work). The people you showed the algorithm to pointed out flaws in it. Now you say "Yeah, okay so there were flaws, but we'll fix them and then it will be perfect, except you can't see the code or algorithm cause it's secret." Sounds like we're back where we started, eh? No one was willing to trust the algorithm before without it being reviewed publically. No one will be willing to trust it now either, _especially_ after the previous concerns that the algorithm wasn't secure were _confirmed_. The cypherpunks list doesn't have to provide free cryptanalysis to you. I doubt anyone will want to waste their time looking at future iterations of your algorithm, if you deign to show it to them. The fact that people on the cypherpunks list don't want to waste their time doing free cryptanalysis for you doesn't mean that your code is secure, or endorsed by anyone. It means that even those who may have thought it possible that your algorithm was secure after all have given up on that thought, or at least decided that it's unlikely enough not to be worth much further consideration, at least until you start behaving reasonably.

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[NOISE] Re: Ecash API about to be released
by tbyfield＠panix.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

9:34 AM 3/22/96, jim bell: > For obvious reasons, I am interested in ecash with full payee, as well as > payer, anonymity. Last I heard, Digicash didn't provide this. Any updates? Finally setting up shop, eh? I can see your shingle already: ------------------------------------ | | | JIM "Yeah, THOSE Daltons" BELL | | | | Anonymous Assassination Broker | | | | "redefining | | random violence | | since 1996" | ------------------------------------

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Re: NT's C2 rating
by Mike Tighe 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>> Basically, I'm now questioning the C2 rating of Windows NT. The >> entire security layer is modular to the Kernel. As a modular >> driver, it can be removed, rewritten, and replaced. Has the product actually been evaluated and put on the EPL? Or is Microsoft just claiming it meets the C2 requirements? Mike Tighe tighe(a)spectrum.titan.com http://www.tcst.com/~tighe/

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Re: NT's C2 rating
by Mike Tighe 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>At 10:21 AM 3/21/96 -0800, David Loysen <dwl(a)hnc.com> wrote: >>>The fine print says its insecure as soon as its connected to a network. >>Ain't nothing fine about that print. An operating system or piece of >>hardware may be C2 certifiable. But only a complete system in a specific >>configuration can be certified as C2 compliant. The way I read the orange >>book, no system with a network connection can ever be C2. To address that problem, they wrote the Trusted Network Interpretation a few years after the Orange Book Mike Tighe tighe(a)spectrum.titan.com http://www.tcst.com/~tighe/

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Maybe not (was "PC: Using BIOS Wait function as a source of entr
by Deranged Mutant 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I did some more tests with the variation when sampling the timer before and after a call to the BIOS Wait function on my PC. Set the delay to 977ms, which is allegedly the counter's resolution and collected samples at even intervals (various ones) and found recurring patterms. For instance, sampling every timer tick (about 55ms) produced a repeating pattern where every 16th sample had a delta well over 1200 while all the others were under 900, usually under 800. Every so often the 16th sample delta was very low instead (between 400 and 600). Plotting the samples in a noise sphere showed very definite streaks with a few spots in isolated areas. So this is NOT a good method to use after all. I'm still curious as to what causes the variation. Maybe has to do with the CPU cache or port interfaces with the CMOS timer? Rob. --- Send a blank message with the subject "send pgp-key" (not in quotes) to <WlkngOwl(a)unix.asb.com> for a copy of my PGP key.

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Please criticize PGP-based robomoderator
by ichudov＠algebra.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Date: Fri Mar 22 21:25:47 CST 1996 To: cypherpunks(a)toad.com Subject: Please criticize PGP-based robomoderator Hello, Today UVV's announced that a new group, soc.culture.russian.moderated, was voted into existence. If all goes well, it should be newgrouped soon. For this group, I wrote a robomoderator program that does the following: 1) Enforces posting style required by the charter 2) Checks PGP signatures on incoming messages and prevents some types of forgeries 3) Implement secure (PGP-based) exchange between robomoderator program and human moderators, for messages requiring their approval 4) Black lists, white lists, and lists of suspicious words (Cypherpunks may imagine that ``medusa'' would be a suspicious word for this list) 5) Signs (with Greg Rose's PMApp) approved articles to prevent posting articles with forged approval 6) supports appeals, moderators' mailing list, and more. A specification for the robomoderator is on my home page at http://www.algebra.com/~ichudov/usenet/scrm/robomod/robomod.html and your criticisms and suggestions are more than welcome. For security reasons, we cannot post the code yet. We'll do it after I systematically proofread it to make sure that it is secure. Robomoderator is written in perl and sh, with some C code. It is working, but there are sopme minor things to do (they are listed in the TODO list on my WWW Page). Thanks to Dr. Dimitri Vulis for several good suggestions that I implemented. - Igor. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBMVNx8sJFmFyXKPzRAQEgVwP+Il58rOpbWtlC0MW4tPrYEnuF9JC5OJET VhaWud9lYzMDo9sdiBBmmgPqs5n3/lPpvxuNX4oCNbooP/U7SE8iqqOlcEdRDI3d KCSS8jol+T+VQGyVg8GkNrjSzSrfBrnka/CYMCXzKPGCFKcj5QiO1ufuBlhcxNsa glTt8xf5BrY= =xUgQ -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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