December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

No Subject
by ezekiel＠alpha.c2.org 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

winn(a)Infowar.Com wrote: > > The article discussed the advanced information warfare techniques used by the > perpetrators. "According to the American National Security Agency (NSA), they > have penetrated computer systems using 'logic bombs' (coded devices that can be > remotely detonated), electromagnetic pulses and 'high emission radio frequency > guns' which blow a devastating electronic 'wind' through the computer systems." > [For a complete description of HERF Guns (coined by Schwartau in 1990), see > "Information Warfare: Chaos on the Electronic Superhighway," Thunders Mouth > Press, 1994] > Thanks for the info (and for the excellent book, by the way). Can you explain in little detail what are these logic bombs? Also, why these institutions do not install protection from HERF radiation and TEMPEST-type protection from information leaks? Do they think that paying ransom is cheaper than all investment in IW-protection? thanx

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Come to think of it (was Something that just crossed my mind....
by Deranged Mutant 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On 30 May 96 at 22:35, snow wrote: > In some of the discussion on this list there has been some concern > about the governments position on anonymous fund transfers. Well, maybe > concern is incorrect. We _know_ (or should) what it is. They are dead set > against it. Hm. The more I think about it, the more that it seems foolish to be against anonymous payee systems. Mainly because those who want it now (and who will want it in the future) and who have the resources will already have it. As for catching tax-evaders, criminals, etc... for most the five BMWs, indoor heated pool and yacht should be enough attention for those who really want to know. Of course the gov't isn't that interested in doing the legwork... better for them to have everything on a computer for easy data-crunching rather than do real footwork. (Can you say downsizing? Nah.... they'd put twice the savings into useless gadgets like attack helicopters to patrol minority neighborhoods with...) Off the track, slightly: It seems the effect that these laws have are to make it so only the very wealthy and connected (or perhaps incredibly ambitious and smart) have access to privacy and de facto loopholes in the law. The only "criminals" who will be able to get away with anything are those who are already so well off (and possibly buddy-buddy with the Powers That Bee, Bzzt!). [..] > The discussion here seems to assume that business will accept, or > even welcome the ability of it's customers to remain unknown, or nymknown. > It is my position (until proven wrong--please) that larger business DON'T > want anonymity. They _want_ to be able to track purchases and use of their > product for several reasons. Good point. But many consumers want anonymity, or at least to control what information they give customers. Many might even settle for pseudo-anonymity (ie, account number 123456 likes to buy product X, but whoever 123456 *is* is known only to 123456....). [..] > The questions that this raises are: > > 1) Am I full of shit. This is very possible. Everyone is at some time or another, unless you never eat. [..] --Mutant Rob. --- No-frills sig. Befriend my mail filter by sending a message with the subject "send help" Key-ID: 5D3F2E99 1996/04/22 wlkngowl(a)unix.asb.com (root@magneto) AB1F4831 1993/05/10 Deranged Mutant <wlkngowl(a)unix.asb.com> Send a message with the subject "send pgp-key" for a copy of my key.

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Re: Compressed data vulnerable to known-plaintext?
by Deranged Mutant 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On 1 Jun 96 at 19:13, anonymous-remailer(a)shell.port wrote: [..] > But then you still have the problem of identifying the contents. If there > were no headers, one could not tell if the message was compressed using > ZIP, LHA, StuffIt, tar*, compress, gzip, Alice's Magical Supercompressor, > or even if it was left alone. One could also not tell if the decryption > happened successfully. Actually you could, since the actual encoding isn't random. It means something to the compressor. And if you know something about compression algorithms you could probably make some good estimates. (I've seen some arguments that bit-wise a compressed file is easier to make a known plaintext attack against than an uncompressed text file...) Try taking various small (but compressable) text files that are different and run them through compressors. Ignore the usual compressor header information and look at a hex dump of the compressed data... think about it in terms of bits. Look at the algorithm that encoded the data. A good way to avoid known plaintext is to use a feedback mode with a random IV (from a good RNG!). Not perfect, of course... Rob. --- No-frills sig. Befriend my mail filter by sending a message with the subject "send help" Key-ID: 5D3F2E99 1996/04/22 wlkngowl(a)unix.asb.com (root@magneto) AB1F4831 1993/05/10 Deranged Mutant <wlkngowl(a)unix.asb.com> Send a message with the subject "send pgp-key" for a copy of my key.

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How can you protect a remailer's keys?
by Bill Stewart 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Encryption is critical for protecting against traffic analysis, but it's tough to protect a remailer's keys. Unlike regular email, where you can type the key in as you read it, remailers need to run automatically once you set them up. Some of the choices are: - leave it around in plaintext with only Unix file protections (Ghio2 works this way - does Mixmaster? My ghio2 version has it compiled into the binary, and I try to delete it from source.) - type it in to a long-running remailer process (with human intervention to start) - SSL-based remailers, where the web server handles crypto on a per-machine basis instead of per-remailer - use unauthenticated Diffie-Hellman (either hanging off a TCP port somewhere instead of mail, or 3 pieces of email) - off-line or off-site remailer such as a POP3 winsock remailer that makes it Somebody Else's Problem, and separates the remailer's public interface from the working parts - human intervention on every message (which may not be totally worthless for moderated news postings, if you want to take that approach to spam prevention.) Anybody have any other approaches? These are mostly weak, annoying, or both. # Thanks; Bill # Bill Stewart +1-415-442-2215 stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com # http://www.idiom.com/~wcs # Rescind Authority!

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RE: Riding online elevators (Was CNN: Anonymous Stock Tips)
by blanc 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: Anonymous In my mail this morning was this bit of spam, I never heard of this guy before, Likely scooped my mailing address from misc.invest.stocks. -Newman ..................................................................... No, I received it as well. Must have taken names@addresses from the list. .. Blanc --Fwd-- >http://chancellor.stockpick.com > >I just got wind that Chancellor Group is reporting big quarterly earnings. >SGA Goldstar is just sending out a "buy" recommendation. I understand other >investment advisors are looking to recommend CHAG. The company has a >strong book value. The short sellers need to cover. This looks like a >good situation to me. What do you think? They are located at: > >http://chancellor.stockpick.com > >Bruce Keller, 203-869-8137 > >To terminate from my Internet Investment Opportunities, Reply to >term(a)portlandweb.com with "remove" in the subject field.

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Re: WSJ on "IRS-bashing"
by Duncan Frissell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 04:01 PM 5/29/96 -0700, Rich Graves wrote: >Fascinating. Could you provide citations to these laws so that people in >this plane of reality might take a look at them? Over here, any such law >would be invalidated by R.A.V. v. St. Paul. The only exceptions are >restrictions on "fighting words" that meet the tests in Chaplinsky v. New >Hampshire and "hostile working environment" discrimination, which I assume >is what you're talking about, in some elliptical way. Pittsburgh Press vs Pittsburgh Human Relations Commission (sex specific help wanted advertizing outlawed). Various Fair Housing Laws ("we don't rent to your kind here" punishable by confiscation of property). Civil Rights Act of 1964 (verbal expressions of discrimination in the course of employment, housing, or service in public accommodations punished in numerous ways). Expressions of ill-will towards the President or members of his family punishable as threats in circumstances where similar comments made about anyone else would not be actionable. Note that work is a big part of most people's lives and there are substantial governmental restrictions imposed on speech in the work place with fellow employees and customers. DCF

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Re: Riding online elevators (Was CNN: Anonymous Stock Tips
by Deranged Mutant 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On 2 Jun 96 at 1:00, Harry Bartholomew wrote: > > In my mail this morning was this bit of spam, I never heard of this guy > > before, Likely scooped my mailing address from misc.invest.stocks. [..] > No. Seems to have gone to all cypherpunks. I've never heard of > misc.invest.stocks. The only time I saw it was in that post... thankfully. --- No-frills sig. Befriend my mail filter by sending a message with the subject "send help" Key-ID: 5D3F2E99 1996/04/22 wlkngowl(a)unix.asb.com (root@magneto) AB1F4831 1993/05/10 Deranged Mutant <wlkngowl(a)unix.asb.com> Send a message with the subject "send pgp-key" for a copy of my key.

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No Subject
by John D. Ervin 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

list John D. Ervin Also known as "Felix1" jervin(a)netpath.net

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Riding online elevators (Was CNN: Anonymous Stock Tips)
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

In my mail this morning was this bit of spam, I never heard of this guy before, Likely scooped my mailing address from misc.invest.stocks. -Newman --Fwd-- >http://chancellor.stockpick.com > >I just got wind that Chancellor Group is reporting big quarterly earnings. >SGA Goldstar is just sending out a "buy" recommendation. I understand other >investment advisors are looking to recommend CHAG. The company has a >strong book value. The short sellers need to cover. This looks like a >good situation to me. What do you think? They are located at: > >http://chancellor.stockpick.com > >Bruce Keller, 203-869-8137 > >To terminate from my Internet Investment Opportunities, Reply to >term(a)portlandweb.com with "remove" in the subject field.

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Re: Saw this on CNN: Anonymous Stock tips over IRC as bad???
by minow＠apple.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> >One of the oldest tricks for running a stock up (or down) is >to put rumor teams on elevators in the financial district of >major cities. It would be more efficient to talk about the rumor on a cellular phone. Probably make a nice sting scenario, too. Martin Minow (who expects a cut of the reward money). minow(a)apple.com

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