December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: Class III InfoWar: TST Article
by ScottMorris 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

[snip] > >On the substance of Schwartau's claims about "HERF guns," I'm a bit >skeptical that this is a real threat _at this time_. I'll say more on this >later. > >So, why am I so skeptical? For a couple of reasons: > >1. Conventional explosives work perfectly fine for a lot of sabotage >efforts. It is unlikely that a mysterrious van is likely to be parked next >to a London brokerage or computer firm in the City of London, given their >history of terrorism. Why bother with explosives when you can pull a manhole cover and climb down with a <insert power tool of choice here, I prefer the chainsaw myself>. All that copper/fiber has to run somewhere in the area to get into the buildings. When the conductor is gone say goodnight. Or the alternative, pour gas into the access covers and light it. Simple is better. >2. To be a credible threat, there usually needs to be some form of >"demonstration." I have heard of no such thing. Absent such a public >demonstration, I find it hard to believe that beancounters would OK the >giving away of hundreds of millions of dollars for a threat which is >abstract and hard to understand for laymen. Short of a tac nuke there won't be one any time soon. The herf/emp/sci-fi weapon of choice is not feasible *at this time*. Remember the square law. If it isn't in the machine room, or damn close it won't work. One has to wonder why the assorted experts on this haven't built a working model and given a controlled demonstration. >3. This recent story smacks of hype. I'm not saying Schwartau is hyping his >conferences and his book, and his consulting business, just saying it >strikes me as a hyped threat without direct confirmation. While the consultants are hypeing all this I have REAL threats to deal with. > >--Tim May > P.S. I guess I'm going to have to get Eudora Pro so I can filter out the psychos 'R' us persona. ----- My opinions are my own, not those of my employer. Scott L. Morris smorri59(a)mailhost.icubed.net ** They can have my PGP key when they ** ** pry it from my cold dead keyboard! **

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mailing-list through a remailer
by nelson＠crynwr.com 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

Scott Binkley writes: > Having a mailing-list run through a remailer?? Only through a penet-type remailer. It couldn't work at all with a mixmaster-type, and would work but poorly with a ghio-type with reply block. > It would be double blind, and difficult to find out who ran the list. Only if your name isn't Julf. > If you chained the remailers, it would be even more difficult. If you chained the remailers for your subscription, then every message would travel the same path. -russ <nelson(a)crynwr.com> http://www.crynwr.com/~nelson Crynwr Software | Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | PGP ok 11 Grant St. | +1 315 268 1925 voice | It's no mistake to err on Potsdam, NY 13676 | +1 315 268 9201 FAX | the side of freedom.

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eTimeouts
by Simon Spero 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

Are about to be imposed on Perry and Phil. You don't both have to play with the same tentacle - there are plenty to go around. Now behave, or I won't let you watch todays episode of (smith) Barney. Simon --- Cause maybe (maybe) | In my mind I'm going to Carolina you're gonna be the one that saves me | - back in Chapel Hill May 16th. And after all | Email address remains unchanged You're my firewall - | ........First in Usenet.........

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Re: OECD http://www.oecd.org/news_and_events/release/nw96-46a.htm
by Bill Stewart 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

Ms. Kamata wrote: >>The process of drafting the OECD Cryptography Policy Guidelines will >>continue at an experts meeting in June and is due for completion in >>early 1997. Cryptography policy is a matter of vital public interest; while I assume that actual participation will be limited by the need for a small enough group to actually get work done, the World-Wide Web makes it easy to publish working papers, meeting agendas, drafts, and participant contact information so that the public can keep track of what's being done. There's a lot of broad-level material on your web site (I enjoyed the perspective of http://www.oecd.org/dsti/iccp/legal/top-page.html) but it would be a substantial benefit to the community to provide the in-depth material as well. At 08:39 PM 6/6/96 -0800, Jim Bell wrote, replying to Ms. Kamata's press release: >>OECD EXPERTS BEGIN DRAFTING CRYPTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES >>Many governments are under pressure within their own countries to >>develop a national position on cryptography, > >If anything, it's exactly the opposite: It is the GOVERNMENTS and >those who hold government jobs who are doing the "pressuring." >I haven't seen more than a trickle of desire for a >"national position on cryptography." What Internet-people want is the >ELIMINATION of a "national position on cryptography," I think. Most governments already have a "national position", restricting cryptography in ways that violate free speech by their citizenry and interfere with commerce to varying degrees. The US has been one of the more egregious violators in this case, since US companies and products dominate the software industry, and national police organs have been strongly opposing the industry's attempts to provide decent security for communications. Industry, on the other hand, has been pressuring government to allow at least enough security to prevent massive fraud and theft and protect proprietary business communications; some parts of industry are willing to compromise if they get this much (perhaps with the added bribe of government contracts to make up for lost opportunities in the free market), while other parts (especially smaller companies, where the costs of bureaucratic compliance have more effect, and where proprietors can speak for the company) take a far stronger view, that freedom of speech cannot be compromised. >>But the needs of global technologies and applications require an >>international --rather than a strictly national -- approach to >>policymaking. The fast-paced development of the Global Information >>Infrastructure adds an element of urgency. The global characteristics of technology render strictly national policymaking increasingly obsolete, because any individual in a free or semi-free computerized country can develop software like PGP which can at most be blocked by vigorous local government action. There are two added forms of urgency - the critical need for security for electronic commerce, which is growing rapidly and increasingly in conflict with nationalist military policies, and the increasing deployment of technology which reduces government control. >>The private sector is closely involved in drafting the Guidelines, >>with business representatives from the Business and Industry Advisory >>Committee (BIAC) participating at the meeting. >>The OECD meeting, which took place on 8 May, was hosted by the US >>Department of State in Washington DC. Was the meeting announced to at least the public in advance? The schedule on the web page mentioned the 8 May meeting, at least after the fact, but does not list any of the following meetings, and there's no identification of your BIAC committee's members or even the member governments participating. Thanks! # Thanks; Bill # Bill Stewart +1-415-442-2215 stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com # http://www.idiom.com/~wcs # Rescind Authority!

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Is the alpha.c2.org 'Nymserver Down?
by anonymous-remailer＠shell.portal.com 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

My 'nym seems to be broken again, and I've heard other reports that the alpha.c2.org 'nymserver is down. Yet, Raph's ping list seem to indicate it's healthy: remailer email address history latency uptime ----------------------------------------------------------------------- alpha alias(a)alpha.c2.org +-++**++-++* 49:22 99.66% What's the story?

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"EASYSAFE(R) VERSION 3.0
by caal＠hopf.dnai.com 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

I thought this may be of interest to the list. >[PRNewswire:Computers-0605.14] 6/5/96 > > EASYSAFE(R) VERSION 3.0 FOR DOS, WINDOWS & WINDOWS 95 'FIRST > NOTEBOOK SECURITY PRODUCT' > > CHICAGO, June 5 /PRNewswire/ - EliaShim Safe Software, a leading > provider of network security products and anti-virus protection > systems, announced at Spring Comdex 96 the release of EasySafe, > version 3.0, the first security and encryption product designed > specifically for notebook computers. > > .. EasySafe provides bullet-proof protection that is easy to install. > .. EasySafe prevents unauthorized use or access through boot password > protection. > .. EasySafe prevents removal or transfer of information via full hard > disk encryption. > .. EasySafe provides keyboard locking after three incorrect password > attempts. > .. EasySafe provides screen blanking after a predetermined period of > inactivity. > .. EasySafe denies system level access to hard disk information. > .. EasySafe can be configured to disable LPT, COM, and Floppy ports. > > Upon boot-up, EasySafe asks the user for a password. A > correctly entered password grants the user access to the computer. > Encryption/decryption of data on the hard disk is dynamic and > completely transparent to the user. The system allows for three > password attempts before locking the computer, and only a cold-boot > reset is possible. After entering the correct password, the disk is > unencrypted dynamically, normal boot up takes place, and the user is > granted access to the system without disk access restrictions or > delay. > > EasySafe includes a DOS/Windows screen saving utility which > blanks the screen after a period of inactivity. The only way to re- > activate the computer is to enter the correct password. > > EasySafe offers two encryption methods. The first encrypts all > data on local hard drives. The second method encrypts boot sectors > and partitions. This prevents unauthorized users from booting from > the "A": drive and accessing the data on the hard disk. This > encryption scheme also protects against the use of disk editing > programs (such as Norton Utilities). Thus, valuable company secrets > remain hidden and secure. EasySafe can be configured to disable LPT, > COM, and Floppy ports to ensure that the information contained on > the hard drive cannot be transferred to another system for later > viewing. > > While annual purchases of notebook computers have increased > steadily, the number of notebooks reported stolen each year is much > more alarming. In 1995, 208,000 notebooks with a value of almost > $640 million were reported stolen by a Columbus, Ohio insurance > company that offers coverage for portable computers (Information > Week - May 6, 1996 issue). EasySafe is the perfect product for > those field professionals whose notebooks contain valuable, > confidential, company information and other sensitive data that is > hundreds of times more valuable than the cost of a notebook. > > Founded in 1983, EliaShim Safe Software has been providing PC > security solutions and anti-virus protection for corporate, > government, educational institutions, and program developers in both > domestic and international markets. Over four million computers are > protected worldwide. Product line includes: EasySafe, MasterSafe, > ViruSafe Gold, and ViruSafe LAN. > > -0- 6/5/96 > /CONTACT: Carl Frederick, Jr., Director of Marketing, EliaShim > Microcomputers, 800-477-5177, or at Spring Comdex 96, Booth . C5431, > 312- > 791-6708/ > > CO: EliaShim Microcomputers, Inc. > ST: Florida > IN: CPR > SU: PDT > >

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Re: [NOISE] Buying whales with digicash Re: Anonymous stock trades.
by drose＠AZStarNet.com 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

hallam(a)Etna.ai.mit.edu wrote: >Whether the teacher was >expected to gun down Hamilton with the Kalashnikov she carried to school each day or >whether the tots were expected to come to her aid with Smith and Westons I'm not sure. Are Smith and Westons like Bolt .45s? -Master D.M. Rose, M.B.A (Harvard) Looks pretty foolish, doesn't it? But usually, people just call me Davve.

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Re: Wasting time and bandwidth on Bell
by jim bell 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

At 02:08 PM 6/7/96 +0100, P.J. Ponder wrote: >Or they automatically delete any posts that come from or relate to the >puerile bullshit Bell is infamous for, and choose not to get dragged into >this type of time- and bandwidth- wasting garbage. Of which this post is >just another, of course, but i get so damn sick and tired of the constant >imposition of 'AP' and related nonsense on this list. It is to be expected that among the citizens of this world, there would be those who have so much moral or economic stock in the current order that they would strongly resist any serious change. (maybe they're already on top, or they hope to be in a few years, etc.) Until a few years ago, almost everybody probably figured that the main effect of computer networking (and the Internet) on politics would be to allow people to send letters to their Congressmen faster while destroying fewer trees, or letting people send in their votes by email rather than travelling to a voting booth. Simple changes. Non-threatening. Don't rock the boat. Don't upset the apple cart. Don't make a wave. It will be a great shock to most of you to hear that the real changes will not only be figuratively "revolutionary" but also LITERALLY revolutionary. >>3. Congress would have no problems passing a law outlawing AP, if one >>does not exist already. >I would be satisfied if they just outlawed e-mail about it. I guess this guy never heard about the 1st Amendment. Or maybe he did, but he concluded that it must have been a mistake, because it's not the kind of thing that the people in charge today would vote for if they had a choice in the matter.. Jim Bell jimbell(a)pacifier.com

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Re: INteresting tidbit
by Chris Adams 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

** Reply to note from stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com 06/07/96 11:15am pdt > >> 4. The ability to crack DES-1 in near real-time mode is present. > >> (See above). > >First, this has been loosely confirmed for ages. Someone was mentioning >> that FBI offices supposedly have software that (on a 486) can crack a DES-1 key >> in under an hour. Multiply * modern high capacity computers = problem. >> However, this does not nessesarily follow from > > Sigh. This is of course hopelessly bogus. You can't even crack RC4/40 in > under an hour on a 486 machine, thoguh you can do it very fast on custom > hardware. I figured it had been sensationalized. I received an email from someone who had actually played with such a beast (or claimed to have) and I believe he mentioned it had an addin card. > > >This Message Was Sent With An UNREGISTERED Version Of PMMail. > >Please Encourage Its Author To Register Their Copy Of PMMail. > >For More Information About PMMail And SouthSide Software's Other > >Products, Contact http://www.southsoft.com. > > I won't encourage you to register it, but at least please find a way to > quiet the sucker down. Mailers that do one line of advertising on unregistered > shareware are semi-tolerable. Mailers that do 4 lines are highly rude. > Fortunately, a good binary editor makes it easy to go in and turn the message > to something quieter, like -'s or :-)'s... I just did that. Took awhile to find a decent OS/2 email program... I'm not sure the new one is better, but it sure is less intrusive. That and a little bug that resulted in some messages getting dumped here (still wondering how it managed that) cost them a sale.

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Re: ID this 31173 NCR keyboard
by qut＠netcom.com 18 Dec '03

18 Dec '03

> Does it have any identifying numbers? There's a bunch of labels and printings inside the board, the pc board says ELE 2001; the chip says NCR '82 and 31960; and a couple labels on the inside of the case that don't make any sense. Do I have any chance of getting term support for this, or getting a new keyboard like this? It seems ideal. > NCR OEMed a line of ADDS Viewpoint terminals for a while, > and while the numbers no longer come to mind > (unless they're like 2920), they might look familiar > if I saw them. This keyboard sample doesn't look > quite like them, though. Most of their keyboards > like that were for terminals, not for PCs. > Are the connectors even PC-like? The connector and cable is standard XT-like. > Also, if there are function keys through F20, it might very > well be a 3270-emulator of some sort. > > At 01:52 PM 6/6/96 -0700, you wrote: > >Oops. I wrote that just looking at the keyboard. > >Picked it up at Seattle's Ex-Pc for $3. > >It's so old, I think it requires a non-PC BIOS. > >No manual, labels etc. > > > >Anyone have a clue as to what this is: > > > >NCR > > > >F1 F2 [...] F18 F19 F20/RESET| > >ESC [...] TAB |[five direction keys] > >CONTROL Q [...] }/] CONTROL |CLR 7 8 9 / > >CAPS_LOCK A [...] ~/` |NEW | - 4 5 6 * > >[up] |/\ Z [...] [upup] |LINE | + 1 2 3 |NEW > > [space] | 0_ 00 . |LINE > > > >It was designed for easily customizing your keytable, > >being an actual flat terminal with square keys easily > >pulled out and interchanged. > > > >The back of the keyboard has three switches for > >the boolean selection of languages: US English, > >UK/Int. English, French, German, Swedish/Finnish, > >Danish/Norwegian, Spanish, Italian. > > > >So, where to get a NEW keyboard like this: > > > >FLAT, with a full set of SQUARE, EASILY pulled out keys. > > > > > > > # Thanks; Bill > # Bill Stewart +1-415-442-2215 stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com > # http://www.idiom.com/~wcs > # Rescind Authority! > > -- Kill Your Television

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