December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Donate your spare cycles to a good cause
by Lucky Green 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

It's that time of year. Please donate the spare cycles on your Pentium or PowerPC to a good cause and help find a new Mersenne prime while you sleep. See http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/justforfun/range.htm for details. Seriously, folks, what is your PC's CPU doing half the time? I thought so. -- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred

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Re: Exon Countdown Clock and farewell messages
by azur＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

This is a draft of my letter to our dear retiring senator. Any suggested improvements? ------------- Honorable Senator Exon, Although in all likelyhood you will never read this memorandum, I wish to express my sincere regret at your retirement and thanks for your many years of ignoble service to our nation misrepresenting the wishes of your constituents. You have served as a stallwart against change as did those who resisted the telephone, automobile, radio, television and computer (to name but a few) before you. You are a champion of politically correct thinking and behaviour, perhaps the most dangerous manifestation of an American trend to intolerence and obedience to social rules. It is a shame we will not have your carcass to kick around in the halls of Congress come next term. All the luck you're due. -- Steve Schear

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[CRYPTO] Bank Cards, Interac, Bank Machines, etc
by C Kuethe 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I'd like to hear what everyone knows about security holes in bank machines. I don't believe in that little bank machine cracker they used in Terminator 2, but I'm interested in the algorithms and protocols the ABM uses to communicate w/ the home bank. My bank says they have some special chip inside the ABM to secure the transfer, and that's all they told me. I also heard that the magnetic stripe on the back contains your card number (the shiny metallized numbers on the front) encrypted using DES using your PIN as the key. Way out to lunch? Too close for comfort? Any knowledge...heck, even rumors.... would be appreciated. That way we can see what kind of FUD is out there. My bet is that the magstrip with DES'd card number on it theory is FUD. But my bank did say that there were some fraudulent transfers (read successful hits) in Europe. I bank with Alberta Treasury Branches, and they said their hardware is immune to the attack that was performed in Europe.... I will have to dig a bit on that one. Anyway, I hope I hear something from all of you soon... -- Chris Kuethe <ckuethe(a)gpu.srv.ualberta.ca> LPGV Electronics and Controls http://www.ualberta.ca/~ckuethe/ RSA in 2 lines of PERL: http://www.dcs.ex.ac.uk/~aba/rsa/ print pack"C*",split/\D+/,`echo "16iII*o\U@{$/=$z;[(pop,pop,unpack"H*",<> )]}\EsMsKsN0[lN*1lK[d2%Sa2/d0<X+d*lMLa^*lN%0]dsXx++lMlN/dsM0<J]dsJxp"|dc`

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Re: KILL cypherpunks !!!
by Eric Wilson 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 07:28 PM 11/25/96 -0500, you wrote: >On Mon, 25 Nov 1996, aga wrote: < whole bunch of stuff > >> This is a world-wide internet problem that you are about to get >> taken care of. You will be among the first locations to be >> eliminated. And just remember that your termination is your own >> doing. You had your chance to keep the fucking cypherpunks list >> OFF of your e-mail to me, and blew it. > >Oops, now what will I ever do? Wow, I'm going to miss cypherpunks. I didn't post much, but I've always been an avid reader (sniff). If I only had it to do all over again... Oh, by the way, since you're planning on doing away with things, could you get rid of some of these outfits that do the mass e-mails, thanks in advance. >> I pump iron and run three times a week. And as a Tae Kwon Do >> black belt holder, I get lots of physical activity. I am in >> better physical shape than any other man that you know. > >I have a date this weekend already, thanks. I find you're martial arts reference very interesting. But if you were truly any good, you wouldn't be waving it in everyones face like a banner. I find your demeanor to be that of someone that has never practiced the warrior arts. If you had, you'd have developed more respect for your fellow human beings. I'm guessing you're a very lonely person, whos only way of getting attention is to try and cause a conflict. Share your pain with us, and together we'll grow stronger ( Star Trek reference ;)). But if you can't do that, shut off your computer ( or leave your terminal), and go find someone to talk to, like a counselor. Eric Wilson ----------------------------------------------------------------- Join the BugList! "How many times?" The Blind Man http://case.cioe.com/~serw30

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Need info on non-OS specific random functions (pref C++)
by Rick Osborne 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I am looking for information on non-OS specific RNGs. Nothing really complex, just easily portable to a few different OSs and compilers. Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks! Rick Osborne / osborne(a)gateway.grumman.com / Northrop Grumman Corporation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: How many surrealists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A: Two. One to hold the giraffe and the other to fill the bathtub with brightly colored machine tools.

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An interesting tid-bit
by Mark Neely 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I was just testing out some new search software, and polled Alta Vista to see how it all worked. I used "sex" as my search term, and Alta Vista reported that their were "no documents matching - sex ignored"! Interestingly enough it will let you search with other, sex-related terms (such as "nude", "f*ck" etc), but not sex! Very bizarre indeed. Mark Mark Neely - accessnt(a)ozemail.com.au Lawyer, Internet Consultant, Professional Cynic & Author BizWeb: For Serious Intrepreneurs - www.maximedia.com.au/bizweb

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market for hardware RNG?
by jim bell 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I'm considering building a PCB to make a hardware random number generator. My first impression is that it will consist of a reverse-biased zener (for a broadband source of uncorrelated white noise) driving one of those one-chip FM recivers, with the audio output driving an 8-10 bit flash A/D convertor. Fairly simple. For cryptologic applications, the output would have to be hashed down to a somewhat smaller output of bits since not all outputs are equally probable, but I suppose after such massaging it could produce at least 2 bits of randomness per sample at a 10 kilosamples per second or so, possibly much more with a wideband receiver chip. But on thinking about this a little more, I began to wonder if anybody really wants this. Pessimistically, it occurs to me that: 1. Many if not most people don't even understand why a hardware RNG is desirable. 2. Users of programs like PGP today already get at least a fairly decent RNG already. Would they want better? (I'm not suggesting a total replacement; I assume that the output of any hardware RNG would be hashed with more "traditional" PC sources, like disk timings, keyboard timings, etc, which should deter attempts to attack just the hardware part.) 3. Even hardware RNG's aren't "perfect": they could be subverted, replaced, or perhaps influenced. Would someone who was sufficiently sophisticated as to recognize the need for it actually accept a real, functioning device? On the other hand... if this kind of pessimism had infected Phil Zimmermann before he wrote PGP 1.0, he might have deleted the first 50 lines of code, erased the file, and said, "fuck it!" Jim Bell jimbell(a)pacifier.com

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Netscape working with the NSA.
by Tim Tartaglia 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Check out the following: http://www-tradoc.army.mil/dcsim/browser.htm Here's an excerpt: > ...Netscape has been working with NSA...Their proposed solution is based > on the use of Fortezza card technology. In November NSA expects to > certify Netscape Navigator 3.0 for "unclassified but sensitive" use... Tim

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The dish on TEMPEST
by Lucky Green 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

The following is from a tread involving a friend of mine. An ex-military fellow. Take it for what you want. I believe him. >>> This depends in large part on the strength of the >> > degausser and how long it remains powered up. The one >> > I have I used to "clean" 10.5 inch tape reels written >> > at FM broadcast quality to a noise level -20db down from >> > brand new tape - this back in my quadraphonic stereo >> > days. It will not quite suck satellites out of orbit... >> > TWA planes, maybe. >> >> >> -20dB down from new would be a better spec if new tape was typically >> nulled rather than just blank low-level white noise. >> >> However, even so, a SQUID is a very scary thing.... I've been out of commission for a week and found 276 messages in my in-box today. The tapes I was writing about were those already "prepared" for recording "items of interest", and had already been degaussed in the preparation procedure to FM broadcast standards then/there. My little hummer would take whatever whit noise remained even then to a further 20 dBA DOWN from the ridiculous levels then/there specified. In other words, it's pretty good. Of course, IF Big Brother wants, there are any number of ways for him to obtain whatever information he wishes. I recall long, long ago, I was privileged to watch a demo of equipment (1955 or 1956, I forget exactly) in a truck parked a MILE away from our CommCenter, in the years before Faraday cages, TEMPEST, etc., and watch these guys print out a 5x5 copy of our top secret traffic as it was read by the [elided upon request] one-time-tape encryption devices. Shortly after that demo, our CommCenter was moved into a cave (no joke) and modified to "low level" dc signalling voltages. And other measures were taken to screen the area... I _have_ led an interesting life... As for Squids, only if you read Jules Verne are they scary. Otherwise, cleaned and fried with a tangy dipping sauce, well, that's another story! --Lucky

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CNET News Dispatch November 25th, 1996
by The CNET newsletter 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

************************************* CNET NEWS DISPATCH Monday, November 25, 1996 San Francisco, California, USA ************************************* CNET NEWS DISPATCH is a daily newsletter that summarizes the up-to-the minute technology news presented by CNET's NEWS.COM. It tempts readers with coverage of today's hottest stories, news in the making, (in)credible rumors, and other indispensable information. For complete versions of the stories updated all day long, head over to: http://www.news.com/?nd ************************************* CONTENTS SCOOPS AND TOP STORIES Mother of all notebooks to be shot out of Canon in December The Web version of driving your car at blazing speeds of up to 325mph Death, where is thy...ping?(?) "Honey? Could you answer the toaster? I'm talking to Frank on the microwave." Comdex sucks! No, it rules! Sucks! Rules! Does not! Does so! Oh, so that's why O.J. has that battered copy of Neuromacer ANNOUNCEMENTS An easy way for you to customize NEWS.COM Search the site for particular topics and articles Send us your questions, comments, flotsam, and jetsam How to subscribe and unsubscribe Late-breaking stories just a click away with Desk Top News ************************************* SCOOPS AND TOP STORIES MOTHER OF ALL NOTEBOOKS TO BE SHOT OUT OF CANON Here are some numbers that might keep ThinkPad and PowerBook vendors up late at night: 200-MHz Pentium processor, 13.3-inch active-matrix display, 1.4GB hard drive, 8X CD-ROM drive. These formidable figures apply to Canon's 3200FX notebook, appearing in December at a showroom near you. It should thus become the highest-performance notebook on the market --but is it worth the price?... http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5692%2C00.html?nd ************************************* THE WEB VERSION OF DRIVING YOUR CAR AT 325 MPH Have you been impressed by Peak Technologies' Peak Net.Jet, whose creators have dubbed it the "turbocharger for the Internet"? If so, keep an eye on the horizon for Datalytics' Web accelerator, Blaze, which will supposedly let users surf the Web up to five times faster than they do today. The company claims that four key weapons in Blaze's arsenal give it the edge over existing accelerators, not to mention a team of blue-chip bundling partners... http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5707%2C00.html?nd ************************************* DEATH, WHERE IS THY...PING?(?) Maybe you've never been pinged. Maybe you've never known the feeling of being on the business end of a huge chunk of data that overwhelms and then shuts down your machine. But if it DOES happen to you (as Karl Malden used to say), what will you do? What WILL you do? StorageTek's Network Systems Group claims it has the magic bullet that is a mere four lines long and takes only seconds to download... http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5708%2C00.html?nd ************************************* "HONEY? COULD YOU ANSWER THE TOASTER? I'M TALKING TO FRANK ON THE MICROWAVE..." Even before the appearance of the much-awaited "information appliances" that are supposed to help us live like the Jetsons, Mitsubishi Electric America and Diba are trying to drive down their cost by as much as half using new chip technology. Some of the miracle gadgets expected include set-top boxes with email and Web access, Internet-enabled phones with touch-screen interfaces, and a "tour guide" device with a CD-ROM and built-in camera that visitors could use in self-guided tours of museums and exhibits. Oh, and don't forget to ask for the exciting "Toast Waiting" feature... http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5704%2C00.html ************************************* COMDEX SUCKS! NO, IT RULES! SUCKS! RULES! DOES NOT! DOES TOO! If you've been to Comdex and survived, how did you manage it? NEWS.COM wants your war stories. We will publish the best five, and the winners--picked on a totally subjective basis by our editorial staff--will get supercool CNET T-shirts. Mail suggestions(a)news.com, and include the words 'Comdex stories' in the subject header of your message. To paraphrase the Prez, "Let us feel yur paynnne..." http://www.news.com/Comdex/?nd ************************************* OH, SO THAT'S WHY O.J. HAS THAT BATTERED COPY OF NEUROMANCER... As humorist Dave Barry might solemnly intone, "We are not making this up." Yes, Virginia, hackers did indeed vandalize the O.J. Simpson civil trial section of AOL's Court TV site. A user reported that when he clicked onto the particular section, a screen popped up with the words, "This area is under construction," and, "It's a PIC of OLAF." Such esoteric language puts this one right up where with Dan Rather's surreal "Kenneth, what is the frequency" episode... http://www.news.com/News/Item/0%2C4%2C5712%2C00.html?nd ************************************* ANNOUNCEMENTS AN EASY WAY FOR YOU TO CUSTOMIZE NEWS.COM So many bits, so little time? Sounds like you need Custom News. Identify the topics, keywords, or sections you're most interested in, and Custom News will a create a page of headlines and summaries for all stories that match your criteria. 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From any story, click Desk Top News in the top right. 2. A window will open showing our last 20 stories. 3. Click on a headline to display the story. 4. Desk Top News updates itself every 30 minutes. 5. You become known as Ms./Mr. Cyber-Info. It feels good. http://www.news.com/Help/Item/0%2C24%2C12%2C00.html?nd ************************************* CNET: The Computer Network http://www.cnet.com/ http://www.news.com/ http://www.gamecenter.com/ http://www.download.com/ http://www.search.com/ http://www.shareware.com/

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