December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Rumours of NSA breakin
by hallam＠ai.mit.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hi, I've been hearing rumours of an alledged compromise of the NSA Web server but no hard evidence. The claim made is that several Mb of files were downloaded from the server and posted to the "Internet". I can't see it in sci.crypt or alt.conspiracy though. I am more than a little skeptical of the claim, unless the files in question were not considered sensitive - and there is no reason to believe that the NSA would be keeing anything secret on their Web server. Banks do not keep money stuffed under mattresses and the NSA does not keep secrets on Internet servers. The origin of the rumour may be an "observation" that the DOJ hack was on the 19th August, the CIA one on the 19th of September. It is no secret that several sites were watching out for attacks on the 19th October. Has anyone heard anything more than a rumour of this alledged event? Phill

3 2

Re: slander and call for lawyers. :)
by frantz＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 11:28 PM 10/25/96 -0700, Sandy Sandfort wrote: >Pledge partners, how say >you? I am quite willing to transfer my pledge of $50 (which was given in the hope that the event would attract Attila, not Dimitri) to Ray's legal defense fund. I want to be clear that this transfer is only valid for defense. If the fund will be used to legally attack Dimitri, I'd like my money back. That falls in the category of inviting the courts to rule on net-disputes, something I would like to discourage. (Attacking Dimitri seems also to fall into the category of bullshit suits, something else I would like to discourage.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | Tired of Dole/Clinton? | Periwinkle -- Consulting (408)356-8506 | Vote 3rd party. I'm | 16345 Englewood Ave. frantz(a)netcom.com | Voting for Harry Browne | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA

3 3

"Montgolfiering" mindlessness
by c62op27＠ibx.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

What bombastic dribble is this? Me thinks our good yet crazy friend has been ingesting Dr. Bronner's Pure Peppermint Castille far beyond the recommended quantities. You are montgolfiering into the hot air that swells your brain. I joined this list to learn about cryptology and its related topics, not to have my inbox filled with the ramblings of impotents. Victor

2 1

News: Sony/Philips has trouble exporting TV's
by Ernest Hua 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

They're just TV's, for crying out loud!! C-Cube patrons may remember Tom Lookabaugh (Christie Cadwell's husband) who is quoted below. I don't recall his title being "sales manager", though, unless he got a recent "promotion" (frequently a C-Cube management speak for "pushed aside"). Ern -------- From Electronic Buyers' News: October 28, 1996 Issue: 1030 Section: News CODE LIMIT EXCEEDED By Jack Robertson Washington - New Internet-television systems from Sony Corp. and Philips Electronics Co. are technically munitions under U.S. export controls and cannot be shipped to the companies' worldwide sales networks, it was disclosed last week. Sony officials said the company's TV set-top box designed by WebTV of Palo Alto, Calif., includes a state-of-the-art 128-bit code encryption system for electronic commerce. This far exceeds the 40-bit encryption code permissible for export under the U.S. Munitions Control List. Philips also makes a WebTV set-top Internet box at its Magnavox TV plant in Knoxville, Tenn., and is similarly barred from shipping the unit to sales channels around the world. Both global electronic giants face immediate competition in the emerging TV-Internet surfing market from other Japanese, South Korean, and European set-makers that don't face the U.S. encryption controls. They now join the U.S. computer industry, which has long protested that the outmoded encryption export curbs are causing them to forfeit overseas sales of PCs and workstations to foreign rivals. President Clinton last month proposed lifting the level of encryption export controls from the present 40-bit code word to 56 bits, but only if a trap door is embedded in the cipher to allow law enforcement agencies to decode wiretapped messages. Clinton is expected shortly to sign an executive order putting the new control limits into effect. The pending 56-bit-code threshold doesn't help the Sony or Philips Web-surfing TV systems - nor most U.S. computer companies that build systems with encryption exceeding even the new control limit. Both Netscape and Microsoft Web-browsing software includes 128-bit code encryption, surpassing export curbs. Zenith Electronics Co., maker of a Web-surfing TV set, isn't concerned about the encryption controls, since it sells only in the U.S. market where the curbs don't apply. Divicom Inc., based in Milpitas, Calif., must get an export license from the U.S. State Department for every exported cable TV front-end encoder, which includes 128-bit code word, according to Tom Lookabough, the company's sales manager. He said the license review process can take eight weeks or more, a troublesome delay that foreign competitors don't face. Divicom and Scientific Atlanta both said their new digital TV set-top boxes include encryption that exceeds allowable export limits - but virtually all sales so far are in the U.S. market. As digital-box production ramps up, the companies would like to sell overseas, but run into the export control ban that puts them at a severe disadvantage against the foreign competitors aggressively entering the set-top market. President Clinton's encryption export control changes include an industry-favored provision to take the category off the State Department's Munitions Control List and shift responsibility to the Commerce Department.

3 2

Re: Digital signatures
by nobody＠replay.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Tim May is not only as queer as a three dollar bill, but he is also into having sex with children.

1 0

Bay Area Cypherpunks Meeting, Saturday Nov 9, C2Net, OAKLAND
by stewarts＠ix.netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

November's Cypherpunks meeting will be held at C2Net's office in Oakland, 1212 Broadway, 14th floor, at 1-5 pm. (12:00 for lunch/hanging around, 1:00 program.) Agenda: - Demo: Ecash plug-in for Netscape - Bernstein Hearing updates - there'll be another hearing Friday 11/8. - Stronghold secure web server - Mondex smartcard weaknesses - Possible IPSEC update - Show&Tell - bring toys! - Bagels Directions: 1212 Broadway, Oakland, 14th Floor, between 12th & 13th on broadway, immediately above the 12th st/city center bart station. Parking garage at the corner of 13th & franklin, one block away. The parking garage closes at 6pm on saturdays though, so you need to be careful you don't leave your car there past six. We're on the 14th floor. The door is locked; see guard for access. # Thanks; Bill # Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com # You can get PGP outside the US at ftp.ox.ac.uk # Nov. 5 is Guy Fawkes Day - Vote Early and Often, and create Fireworks!

1 0

Re: Copyright violations
by Matthew J. Miszewski 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

>> American Banker: Thursday, October 31, 1996 > > Two Retail Giants Sue Visa Over Debit Cards > > By LISA FICKENSCHER > > Two of the largest retailing companies have filed a lawsuit against Visa > U.S.A., claiming the bank card association illegally forces merchants to > accept debit cards. (major snip) This is the first step towards repudiation of real electronic cash. I am not in favor of "forcing" companies to act (BTW, they are not forced to do anything, they can choose not to accept Visa), but if Visa will go to bat to support their debit cards, they may be willing to support ecash the same way. Matt -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.2 mQCNAzDq+FoAAAEEANM9+JcJmUp4aCSGpdOG4Y1b6m4630XA8H41Utbvr7Tr6wEH CD6tlxZ+k+Pycj4w/f8WQa8fC50skoLjUNeP4lYsR7NYaMGRp6WkqCLMI/3Nohvk pfLDqnzZZdwVL2liB7mfTURoF6doQaVehHmMBjSaVTfD12tzNGm6VvyEc77JAAUR tClNYXR0aGV3IEouIE1pc3pld3NraSA8bWptaXNraUBleGVjcGMuY29tPg== =lkx1 -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----

1 0

US Exit Tax Wrapup in Forbes
by Duncan Frissell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The current Forbes has a good short article wrapping up the status of the "taxpatriate" control movement in Congress. The Health Care Bill that passed in August didn't include an Exit Tax as previously reported. What it did contain was a provision that states that taxpatriates with a net worth of more than $500K who renounce their citizenship will still be on the hook for ten years for income taxes on their US source income. This provision is easily dodged however by tax planning techniques that assure that the individual involved has no US source income. Borrowing and trusts can be substituted for an income stream. The second provision was in the immigration bill. It subjects all those who renounce their US citizenship (for any reason) to a visa requirement for entry to the US. State can then deny visas in cases where the expat is a taxpat. This applies to new citizens of those OECD countries that have visa-free entry to the US. How State will filter recent expats out of the flow for special treatment is unclear, however. Nation of birth is shown on passports, so that might be able to be used. This gimmick is also easily dodged by entry into Canada or Mexico with a low profile border crossing into the US. Gee, I wish I had enough assets to become a taxpatriate. DCF "Vote for the only Swiss Citizen in the Presidential race -- Harry Browne."

1 0

Re: Sliderules, Logs, and Prodigies
by Sean Roach 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

A quick note, I consider myself to be a nerd. This is in part "reclaiming", as I found myself uninterested in sports, as my classmates were, and found computers fun.(good reason too, considering I had access to one of those, an old TI99/4a, longer than I had classmates). I didn't grow up un either log tables or slide rules, but I did learn how to do basic arithmetic on both the traditional slide rule, and a round one designed for engineers. At one time, nerds were the intellectuals, the only thing that has really changed is that now the nerds are in control, making intellectual arts a little more appealing. I'm only a 21 year old college student who is still somewhat ignorant, make that quite ignorant, about the world, but I do feel that just because it was an unpopular term to describe you, it isn't disrespectful to consider ourselves nerds. Relevance to Crypto, none. Just attempting to defend myself in the ether. >From ???@??? Sun Nov 03 22:49:13 1996 To: cypherpunks(a)toad.com From: Sean Roach <roach_s(a)alph.swosu.edu> Subject: Re: Sliderules, Logs, and Prodigies Cc: Bcc: X-Attachments: A quick note, I consider myself to be a nerd. This is in part "reclaiming", as I found myself uninterested in sports, as my classmates were, and found computers fun.(good reason too, considering I had access to one of those, an old TI99/4, longer than I had classmates). I di

1 0

AOL / CyberPromo email blocking
by Three Blind Mice 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

This was in the Daily Brief on 11/05: * A federal Judge ruled yesterday that America Online can block junk e-mail from Cyber Promotions Inc. - said neither the First Amendment nor the constitutions of Pennsylvania or Virginia allow Cyber to send unsolicited computer ads to AOL members. Does anybody know where I can find a full article on this? It sounds like it might set some precedent for other cases dealing with the Internet. Thanks, --3bmice

1 0