December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: American People the relation to the Police
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 1:38 AM 7/20/96, Jim Choate wrote: >I disagree. This country fought two wars of liberation (you forgot about >1812) and a civil war to discredit this thesis in relation to a Democracy >founded upon individual liberty. It is no coincidence that the Tree of Liberty Well, to many of us, the wrong side won the War of the Rebellion (aka the Civil War, aka the War Between the States, etc.). A bunch of southern states wanted to seceed, which my reading of the founding documents said was clearly an option if sentiment was strong enough in that direction. Constitutional scholars of course debate this, and I've seen arguments that the documents eventually agreed to in 1789-90 in some ways undercut this "right" to seceed. I think this to be untrue, and that the signers of the Declaration and of the Constitution would be surprised to learn that they were signing a one-way, unreversible, no way out document, binding their communities to be part of the United States of America forever, even if their populace clearly wants out. So, the wrong side won. --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, Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Re: Making encoding out of an authentication cipher
by pgut001＠cs.auckland.ac.nz 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Green alien space slime made ogren(a)cris.com ("David F. Ogren") write: >1. It is slow. This method would appear to be approximately the speed of >MDC. And MDC (using SHA, what appears to be the most secure hash) is (very >roughly) 5 times slower than Blowfish and 3 times slower than IDEA. And >although MDC is faster than 3DES in software, 3DES could easily outpace MDC >in hardware. It depends. On a PC (the most common type of computer hardware) you're limited by the bus speed. Most encryption cards are still ISA (so far I've managed to find a single PCI DES card, everyone is still shipping ISA cards because they're the lowest common denominator). This means that even with a 15 MB/sec DES chip you can't get more than 1 MB/sec throughput. I think the breakeven point for MDC/SHA vs the ISA bus is either a P5/90 or a P5/100 (I don't have access to either of them to check this right now). This isn't just for MDC, virtually anything on any recent PC is faster than the ISA bus (in fact from Eric Youngs libdes figures there are CPU's which will do software 3DES faster than hardware 3DES on an ISA bus). Peter.

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RE: MSNBC and cookies
by blanc 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

From: Hal I find that MSNBC is now working OK without cookies. I tried off and on during the day today (Friday) and last night and it didn't work, but it is working OK now. I can get in with lynx or with my cookie-blocked Netscape. I sent them a nasty letter this afternoon complaining about it so either that may have helped or it is obsolete. Maybe it was just a glitch? ...................................................................... I think that's probably what it was -- they also had some initial problems with the cable broadcast. .. Blanc

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Re: Netscape download requirements
by frantz＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 8:44 AM 7/19/96 -0400, Peter D. Junger wrote: >(I do want to thank Netscape--and especially Tom Weinstein who tried >to give me a lot of assistance--for making the downloading possible. >On the other hand, I certainly don't think that we owe any thanks to >the government agencies that made all this rigamarole necessary.) I echo Peter's thanks. Netscape is helping us demonstrate a market for strong, non-GAKed crypto. This market exists in spite of what the GAK fans say. If the American people carefully considered the issues of GAK, I strongly believe they would come down on the side of privacy, and not on the side of total government access to communication. That is why our government is trying so hard to institute GAK thru international treaty, the path with the least public input and scrutiny. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | The Internet may fairly be | Periwinkle -- Consulting (408)356-8506 | regarded as a never-ending | 16345 Englewood Ave. frantz(a)netcom.com | worldwide conversation. | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA

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Re: High Voltage Management
by Michael Myers 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 04:30 AM 7/20/96 -0700, Timothy C. May wrote: >volt Van de Graaf generators. (By the way, the neon sign transformer was >actually pretty dangerous, and my handling of it was careless, I now see. >Be careful when you convert one of these into a Jacob's Ladder, or use it >for plasma studies.) Been there. Done that. Bad idea to have the Jacob's Ladder out as "atmosphere" for a party, especially one where alcohol is available... "Hey, that's pretty cool...what is it?" "It's a Jacob's Ladder...careful...it's hot." (Time passess...Darwin and Jack Daniels intervene) BZZZZZT! "Yeow! That thing burned me!" "Well, what were you doing?...I told you it was hot!" "Uh...I was trying to light my cigarette on it." -- /^^^^^^^^^Instead of being born again, why not just GROW UP?^^^^^^^^^^^\ Michael Myers Vote Libertarian....you'll sleep better! Don't like abortion? Don't have one. Don't like guns? Don't buy one. blackavr(a)aa.net E-mail for PGPv2.6.2 public key \____________ http://www.aa.net/~blackavr/homepage.htm ________________/

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Re: Kellstrom Calls for DT Funding
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

[File under the "be careful what you ask for" heading] At 12:58 AM 7/20/96, jim bell wrote: >At 02:33 PM 7/19/96 -0400, Duncan Frissell wrote: >>In a "briefing" on TWA 800 when one of the reporters tossed Big Jim >>Kellstrom (Deputy Director in Charge of the New York Office) of the FBI a >>softball question about what he needed to fight terrorism; he took the >>opportunity to call for full funding of the Digital Telephony Bill. He said >>the usual about how bad guys conspire and we need to tap. > > >Too bad these people aren't required to show specific examples where the >"bad guys" got away as a result of their failure to be able to do wiretaps. I don't think asking for this evidence is a good idea. After all, there probably _are_ such examples. It stands to reason. But so what? The issue is not whether extensive wiretapping would catch certain conspirators and head off certain crimes, the issue is one of how liberal and free societies are to operate. Our system has frowned upon such Orwellian schemes as mandating that video cameras be placed in all residences and in all hotel rooms, regardless of whether certain crimes would be detected or deterred. The proper argument is not to demand proof of how useful such measures as the FBI would like to see are, but, rather, to focus on basic rights issues. --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, Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Re: Netscape 3.0B US version MD5 (was: Re: overseas PGPfone and Netscape)
by Steve Reid 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>> Anyone sniffing the link >> knows the filename from previous forms submissions, anyway. > You can't sniff the link, since the form submission and the >file download are via SSL. How ironic. :> Remember why people are downloading the software in the first place. They only have eight-cent exportable 40-bit SSL. <sarcasm> I'm sure the evil Iraqi terrorists (and other horsemen) are snooping the line, using their newly purchased PCs and FPGAs to crack the 40-bit crypto so that they can gain the wonderful advantages of 128-bit SSL, which will of course prevent wiretaps from working, thus aiding them in their terrorist attacks and bringing about the end of the world as we know it. </sarcasm> ===================================================================== | Steve Reid - SysAdmin & Pres, EDM Web (http://www.edmweb.com/) | | Email: steve(a)edmweb.com Home Page: http://www.edmweb.com/steve/ | | PGP (2048/9F317269) Fingerprint: 11C89D1CD67287E68C09EC52443F8830 | | -- Disclaimer: JMHO, YMMV, TANSTAAFL, IANAL. -- | ===================================================================:)

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Re: Opiated file systems
by Chris Adams 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On 18 Jul 96 06:13:42 -0800, jimbell(a)pacifier.com wrote: >>1. Confiscate computer (along with physical drive) with duress-capable >>encrypted file system; 2. back up the encrypted sectors; 3. reverse-engineer file >>system driver to figure out how the duress-key works, if there are >>multiple keys, where data is stored; 4. make sure you've rubber-hosed >>or subpeoned all passphrases or keys; 4a. if the system destroys data, >>you've got backups ("Very funny kiddo; now give us the real key...") >>4b. even if there are two filesystems, the attacker will want access >>to both, just to make sure... > >It has long occurred to me, considering the size and low power of the >typical 3.5" hard drive compared with the size of the typical house or >apartment, that it might be an interesting project to remotely connect such >a (hidden) drive to your computer using a reasonably surreptious link that >is difficult to trace. Say, an IR optical link, a single bare (unjacketed) >optical fiber, a LAN with hidden nodes, or a similar system. Maybe an >inductive pickup. In any raid, they'll have to decide what to take, and >chances are very good that they won't find every hidden item. Induction would be a good choice. Hmmm, how about using the house water pipes? (Or heater ducts?) Not only should they conduct water, it does offer the possibility of some VERY funny hiding spots. If you were seriously worried, you could even waterproof the drive (Enough epoxy and almost anything can be waterproofed <g>) and power it off of a turbine in the water pipe! I imagine hiding it in a septic tank would probably discourage searchers as well... Finally, I'd have a duress code (or emergency button or timer ... etc) wired up to a thermite charge. Might be a bit permanent, but certainly would come in handy. (hmmm. Wire it up behind an access panel in a heater duct. Set it so there are something like 15 screws that need to be unfastened to get to it, including some elsewhere. If it's done in the wrong order, WHOOSH) Oh, and did I mention that putting it in a (metal) duct or pipe would probably be enough to tempest shield a drive? (As I understand it, monitors are the least secure part of the system, followed by cpus.) In fact, it ought to be enough to throw off a metal detecter/search device as well. You could even leave a crudload of old MFM drives (20MB! wheee!) in similar spots as decoys... Put things like encrypted copies of the constitution, large scans of 4th ammendment plaintext, etc, on those... Ought to be at least irritating and it might be interesting to have them have to read that into record at a trial as well... BTW, I'd try a fiber-optic connector to the machine because 1) it's waterproof and you wouldn't have to be quite as paranoid about leaks, 2) it's far more secure, 3) it's faster and 4) it's probably impossible to trace like a metal wire (i.e. run current through and trace magnetic fields...). Put it in the usual snarl of wires (Cable TV, telephone - multiple lines of course, home intranet, etc) and it could be really nasty. Finally, if it was wired up on a home network, you could protect by carefully choosing your network architecture, hopefully getting one that allows hidden devices (i.e. only shows up on access attempts, perhaps only w/right password.) // Chris Adams <adamsc(a)io-online.com> - Webpages for sale! Se habla JavaScript! // Automatically receive my resume or PGPKEY by sending email with a subject // of 'send PGPKEY' or 'send resume'. Capitalization counts so be careful!

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Thanks to Prof. Sternlight for postings to CYPHERPUNKS
by Dmitri Chesnokov 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> > Look, folks, we all know that 99% of what David Sternlight posts is > > garbage. Why don't we all pledge not to answer any of his posts, and > > then he'll go away. > > Thanks Perry for a great idea. Add my name to the list. It is not surprising that some members of cypherpunks mailing list failed to answer well-reasoned arguments of Prof. Sternlight. It is sad but not at all unexpected that some of us resorted to ad hominem attacks and attacked the person of Prof. Sternlight instead of trying to refute his arguments. It is reprehensible that after the ad hominem attacks failed to silence a progressive and socially-responsible scientist such as David, the same people are desperately trying to organize a boycott of his postings. This boycott and fake "pledges" IMPOSED on members of Cypherpunks list by those who were thought to have AUTHORITY on this list are contrary to the notion of freedom of speech. Dr. David Sternlight is undoubtedly one of the best experts in cryptography and Government Information Policy, who is generous enough to share his observations with us. We should thank you, David, for taking your time and helping Cypherpunks to reach new heights in our understanding of what should be the proper role of the government. Please continue posting to our mailing list. There are people who are interested in your views! We have seen how so called "scientific establishment" on usenet -- a bunch of "physicists" not known for anything but their intolerance to novel ideas -- tried and failed to silence Prof. Archimedes Plutonium. A real tragedy was prevented by a small number of freedom lovers like myself who supported Archimedes in his tough times. Protect freedom of speech! Do not let evil libertarians silence an opposition scientist! Dmitri Chesnokov.

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Re: Responding to Pre-dawn Unannounced Ninja Raids
by Llywarch Hen 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Timothy C. May wrote: >If a black-clad ninja enters my house without warning, I'll have to react >the only way I know how, by reaching for my gun. I don't have the luxury of >freezing, exposing my neck (wolf-style), and hoping that the ninjas are >"just" the police. Sir, you are not allowing for just how incredibly stupid the cops are. When they show up at your house, it is all over. They've already decided that you are scum. You'd have us believe that you lie awake stroking your gun. You have not had the opportunity to look closely at the business end of a gun. The hole looks enormous. Come off it grandpa. This is not a fashion show -- 'black-clad' indeed. The one 'black-clad' character that comes to mind is the _Economist_ editor found dead last year on his kitchen table wearing a tight-fitting latex number who expired having sex with him/itself. Of course this says nothing about the _Economist's_ readership, except most likely in your case. Forget the crocodile pits and the other juvenile stunts. If you have the slightest bit of incriminating material (queer porn?) on your hard drive, you'll roll over in no time and give your pals to the cops. These assholes would rather shoot you than admit to a mistake. One bullet from one of them, and they'll all execute you on the spot to cover for the idiot. -- Llywarch Hen

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