December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Quantum Computers
by Bill Stewart 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert970322.html

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Re: Raid on Jim Bell story may actually be real....
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I spoke with Jim Bell last night at his home in Vancouver, WA, and he confirmed the story. He has not been arrested but his equipment has been confiscated. No e-mail possible until he gets access to other machinery. He says he's surprised that it has taken so long for Sam to respond. He can be reached at 1-360-696-3911 Now this assumes that the person I spoke to is Jim Bell and not the USG in AP clothing, and that the entire AP gambit is not a sting.

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Crypto Sabots
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

American Banker, April 2, 1997: Consortium Formed For Data Security Carlisle, Pa.: The data encryption community has a new advocacy group: the Cryptography Products Consortium. Organized under the auspices of the National Computer Security Association, the consortium said it aims to "foster interoperability and transparency of cryptography products" and define and advance the common goals" of vendors and system integrators. The charter members are many of the companies active in data security as it relates to electronic banking and commerce. They include the smart card manufacturers Gemplus and Schlumberger as well as BBN Corp., Cylink Corp., Pretty Good Privacy Inc., Rainbow Technologies Inc., RSA Data Security Inc., Sterling Commerce, Trust Information Systems Inc., and V-One Corp. -----

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EVENT! Rep. Rick White to hold live online town hall meeting 4/10!
by Shabbir Safdar 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

========================================================================= _ _ __| | ___ _ __ ___ ___ ___ _ __ __ _ ___ _ _ _ __ ___| |_ / _` |/ _ \ '_ ` _ \ / _ \ / __| '__/ _` |/ __| | | | | '_ \ / _ \ __| | (_| | __/ | | | | | (_) | (__| | | (_| | (__| |_| |_| | | | __/ |_ \__,_|\___|_| |_| |_|\___/ \___|_| \__,_|\___|\__, (_)_| |_|\___|\__| |___/ Government Without Walls _________________________________________________________________________ Update No.3 http:/www.democracy.net/ April 3 1997 _________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents - Join Internet Caucus Co-Founder Rick White (R-WA) Live Online April 10. - Background on Rep. White - Upcoming Events - About democracy.net ___________________________________________________________________________ JOIN INTERNET CAUCUS-CO FOUNDER REP. RICK WHITE (R-WA) LIVE ONLINE! Representative Rick White (R-WA), co-founder of the Congressional Internet Caucus and leader on Internet policy issues, will be the guest at democracy.net's first live, interactive 'town hall meeting' on Thursday April 10 at 8:30 pm ET (5:30 pm PST). The town hall meeting, moderated by Wired Magazine's Todd Lappin, will be completely virtual. The discussion will be cybercast live via RealAudio, and listeners can join a simultaneous interactive chat discussion and pose questions to Rep. White. This is a unique opportunity for Internet users to discuss current Internet issues, including efforts to reform US Encryption policy, the future of the Communications Decency Act, the activities of the Congressional Internet Caucus, and others. Details on the event, including instructions on how you can submit questions in advance, are attached below. ____________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PARTICIPATE * Interactive Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Rick White (R-WA) * DATE: Thursday, April 10, 1997 TIME: 5:30 pm PST / 8:30 pm EST LOCATION: http://www.democracy.net In advance of the town hall meeting, please visit http://www.democracy.net and fill out the form to ask Rep. White a question. We will collect the questions and forward them to the moderator on the day of the event, and will make every effort to ensure that questions from constituents are asked first. 1. Attend and ask Rep. White a question! Please mark this date in your calendar: Thursday April 10, 5:30PM PST at http://democracy.net/ 2. Get your friends and co-workers to join the discussion Members of Congress love to hear from their constituents. If you have friends that live in the district, please forward this invitation and encourage them to attend. _____________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND Congressman Rick White, 43, is serving his second term representing the people of the First Congressional District of Washington state, which includes parts of Seattle, Redmond, and surrounding areas. In 1995, White gained national attention through his work on the Internet and high-technology issues. He was one of a handful of members selected to develop the final Telecommunications Act of 1996. As the founder of the Congressional Internet Caucus, he has worked to educate members of Congress about the Internet and to create a more open, participatory government through the use of technology. Additional Information can be found at the following locations: * Rep. Rick White's Home Page -- http://www.house.gov/white/ * democracy.net Page -- http://www.democracy.net/ _______________________________________________________________________________ UPCOMING EVENTS Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Internet policy leader from Silicon Valley, will be the guest at democracy.net's interactive 'town hall meeting' on Wednesday April 16 at 8:30 pm ET (5:30 pm PST). Visit http://www.democracy.net for more details. _______________________________________________________________________________ ABOUT DEMOCRACY.NET The democracy.net is a joint project of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW) to explore ways of enhancing citizen participation in the democratic process via the Internet. To this end, democracy.net will host live, interactive cybercasts of Congressional Hearings and online town hall meetings with key policy makers. democracy.net is made possible through the generous support of WebActive, Public Access Networks, the Democracy Network, and DIGEX Internet. More information about the project and its sponsors can be found at http://www.democracy.net/about/ To receive democracy.net announcements automatically, please visit our signup form at http://www.democracy.net/ _____________________________________________________________________________ End update no.3 04/03/1997 =============================================================================

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DigiCash press release
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- begin forwarded text Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 01:46:54 +1000 (EST) From: Andreas Furche <afurche(a)cs.newcastle.edu.au> To: e-payments(a)commerce.net Subject: DigiCash press release MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: e-payments-owner(a)cs.newcastle.edu.au Precedence: bulk +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ This message was addressed to: e-payments(a)lists.commerce.net +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ --------------------------- PRESS RELEASE --------------------------- Release date: April 2, 1997 Tokyo, Japan =========================================================== Nomura Research Institute licenses ecash(tm) technology for Japan's first true electronic money system =========================================================== Nomura Research Institute (NRI) and DigiCash today announced that NRI will be the first company in Japan to license ecash(tm) technology for the development of an electronic money payment system. NRI will use ecash(tm), denominated in Japanese yen, for a unique intranet based system that will allow NRI employees, departments, and associated companies to exchange value in real time, without the need for smart cards, paper, or complex systems. Licensees of the ecash(tm) system include Mark Twain Bank (USA), Deutsche Bank (Germany), Merita Bank/EUnet (Finland) and Advance Bank (Australia). At the moment making transactions over the Internet or an Intranet usually means sending credit card details over computer networks, but credit card transactions are relatively expensive and therefore are not efficient for low value purchases. Many smartcard- based systems are also being developed, but they require that each consumer installs special hardware. Many forms of "electronic cash" are competing for attention in Japan, but the NRI project is unique, using a low cost, real-time method of payment that is secure, easy-to-use, and which will meet the future requirements of banks, and Government regulators. DigiCash's patented ecash(tm) system allows payment of amounts as low as one yen, and all payments are made with the same security technology currently used by large financial institutions to protect large international money transfers. "This launch in Japan represents an important collaboration between the premier electronic cash company and the leading electronic commerce innovator in a country that is growing rapidly in Internet usage," said Dr. David Chaum, inventor of electronic cash and founder of DigiCash. He added "Internet users and corporations have come to understand the unique ability of the ecash(tm) electronic cash system to empower them, using their own computers, to protect their own privacy. Leading banks, both in the region and globally, are beginning to observe this and see the strategic importance of operating their own electronic cash systems. We are thrilled to have NRI as a partner as we pioneer the use of ecash(tm) in Japan". "A great deal of discussion on electronic money in Japan has been focused on smartcard-based ones, such an example represented by Mondex. However, we, Nomura Research Institute, Ltd., believe network-based 'ecash' is equally important for the accelerated development of cyberspace economy in Japan. Introducing 'ecash' to the Japanese yen world, NRI will propose a new model of utilization of ecash, that is, `ecash in INTRANET'", said Mr. Teruyasu Murakami, Director of Advanced Social Systems Division, NRI. Ecash(tm) is the only Internet payment system that creates actual electronic cash coins. This concept increases security and reduces transaction costs. It gives increased control to the user of the system and provides consumer privacy. Merchants will also appreciate the ecash(tm) system, where payments are quickly authenticated and their cash value is immediately deposited in the bank, preventing disputes and delivery delays. This system gives a great opportunity to merchants selling low cost goods, information and services online. Craig Welch, Director of DigiCash Pty Ltd said: "Japan is growing so fast in the use of payment methods, that it was only a matter of time before the use of ecash(tm) became essential. NRI have proven to be the ideal partner to make this technology a practical implementation in Japan." Contact DigiCash bv Contact Nomura Research Institute, (Amsterdam): Ltd. (Tokyo) : Mr. Robert Zipplies Mr. Naohiko Araki Ph: +31 20 592 9999 Ph: +81 3 5255 1981 Fax: +31 20 665 1126 Fax: +81 3 5255 9312 email: press(a)digicash.com email: kouhou(a)nri.co.jp http://www.digicash.com/ http://www.nri.co.jp Contact DigiCash Pty. Ltd. Contact DigiCash Pty Ltd (Singapore): (Sydney): Mr. Craig Welch Mr. Andreas Furche Ph: +65 9639 2670 Ph: +61 2 375 2316 Fax: +65 745 2731 Fax: +61 2 375 2121 email: craig(a)digicash.com email: andreas(a)digicash.com (DigiCash and ecash are registered trademarks and should always be referred to as such) * * * DigiCash: Company background (summary) ====================================== Founded in 1990, DigiCash is the leading pioneer in the development of electronic payment systems that provide security and privacy. Available for open, and closed systems and network use, DigiCash's products are based on patented developments in public key cryptography devised and owned by Dr. David Chaum. DigiCash's first product was DyniCash, a road-toll system capable of collecting fees from pre-paid smartcards carried on moving vehicles that was developed for the Dutch government. In recent years increasing media attention has been focused on ecash(tm), DigiCash's software-only form of electronic cash developed especially for use on the Internet. It can be used online (via the World Wide Web) or via email, and is suitable for implementation with many other digital media. There are already five ecash-issuing banks on the Internet and a rapidly growing number of cyber- merchants. With enthusiastic responses from financial institutions interested in ecash-licenses for the future, and the continuing support of industry opinion-makers, the company's team of experts is now making presentations around the world. Banks already supporting- or issuing ecash(tm) include: Mark Twain Bank (Missouri, USA), Merita Bank/EUnet (Finland), Deutsche Bank (Germany) and Advance Bank (Australia). DigiCash's leading position in cryptographic technology has already enabled it to develop smartcards for a diverse range of applications including CAFE, the smartcard-based payment system operated by the Headquarters of the EU in Brussels. The CAFE project started as a scientific project (ESPRIT) funded by the EU, just one of the several EU technology projects with which DigiCash has been involved, and designed smartcards that feature pre-paid cash replacement functions, loyalty schemes and access control. Founder: Dr. David Chaum ------------------------ Dr. David Chaum, Founder and Chief Technical Officer of DigiCash, received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley, then taught at New York University Graduate School of Business Administration and at the University of California, and headed the Cryptography Group at CWI, the Dutch nationally-funded centre for research in mathematics and computer science, before taking his current position. He has published over 45 original technical articles on cryptography and also founded the International Association for Cryptologic Research. DigiCash Products ----------------- Facility Card: Complete Facility Management Smart-Card/Reader System Cash replacement, access control, and time/attendance system; now in schools, hospitals, industry, offices, recreation; interfaces to vending machines, point-of-sale, access control, copiers, phones, gaming; Downloadable & upgradeable card-readers work on-line and/or offline; There are already over 120,000 cards in use in the Netherlands. Mars Electronics International licensed the DigiCash facility management system technology in 1996, and incorporated it into their `Multicard Smart' product line which was launched worldwide in January 1997. Blue: Smart Card Technology For EMV & Prepaid With Dynamic Public Key. Conforms to joint Europay, MasterCard, Visa specifications. Multiple applications, including loyalty and closed systems. Superior data integrity in case of malicious or accidental interference or interruption. Requires only the smallest and most proven chips, e.g. SC-24 or ST601. Mask technology licensing. For more information on ecash please contact DigiCash. info(a)digicash.com, http://www.digicash.com/, fax: +31 20 592 9999 ------------------------- END PRESS RELEASE ------------------------- -- Andreas Furche Level 29 The Chifley Tower Managing Director 2 Chifley Square DigiCash Pty. Ltd. Sydney 2000, Australia e-mail: andreas(a)digicash.com ph +61 2 9375 2316 mobile (0419) 385 569 (NEW number!) fax +61 2 9375 2121 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent by a majordomo-based automatic list manager. Subscriptions to and archives of this list are available to any person or organization. For further information send a mail message to 'e-payments-request(a)lists.commerce.net' with 'help' (no quotations) contained in the body of your message. --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA Lesley Stahl: "You mean *anyone* can set up a web site and compete with the New York Times?" Andrew Kantor: "Yes." Stahl: "Isn't that dangerous?" The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/

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Re: FC 97 and www.offshore.com.ai offline
by Lucky Green 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 05:46 PM 4/2/97 +0000, Jim Burnes wrote: >Has anyone been able to reach www.offshore.com.ai for the last >several weeks. I've been trying to follow up with some email to >Vince about getting my fellow FC '97 attendees' email addresses, but to >no avail. > >If anyone on the list was at the conference, or has such a list I >would appreciate it. You may want to ask Hirschfeld, the conference chair. >BTW: hi to lucky green, eric blossom, vince and everyone that made FC >97 a wild adventure. Hi back :-) It was fun, wasn't it? -- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred "I do believe that where there is a choice only between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence." Mahatma Gandhi

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Jim Bell raid
by Greg Broiles 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- A southern Washington newspaper, The Columbian (apparently published in Vancouver) provides a "greeked" (e.g., squiggles instead of text) version of its front page at http://www.columbian.com (you'll have to pick the frame for "The latest Columbian headlines") - and today's page one above-the-fold headline is "Affidavit: Internet essay solicits murder". It looks to me like this is real. Yow. Jim Bell is a goddamn loon, but I haven't seen him write anything that I thought was criminal. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 4.5 iQCVAgUBM0QP37Fh6pHCoCA5AQGqFAP/XajMlyEjtiDeYHYjHeL3B03TqCaCh6t4 kbCuPzoV2zsMIfSpoVcctHiorqYnMt2oemfHwfUT9cubnVwZYMzHZzsaqQjd+OqN 2z/Hnlo4vBFb73+lYWYPTqWydI0qAGZlDS9zbBwUNqP1eQL4rgEJxq6RzdfRcsqU 5MEWLzlfxZ4= =rzdS -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- Greg Broiles | US crypto export control policy in a nutshell: gbroiles(a)netbox.com | http://www.io.com/~gbroiles | Export jobs, not crypto.

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Is this snake-oil?
by Eric Murray 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

I ran across this web page: http://www.da.com/swp.htm. They claim their 'Cyber-stone' scheme uses a "Pseudo-random Transposition Cipher" to vary the keys for an underlying symmetric cipher for each message. They also claim to have a patent on changing the keys for each message (which seems like something on the level of patenting the 'help' key on a keyboard, or the blinking block cursor. Sigh). I ask if it's snake oil because of the use of non-standard terminology and marketing bullstuff like "A New Way of Encrypting". However neither of those are anywhere near proof of uselessness, only an indication that's "food for thought and grounds for further research". They claim patents: 5,307,412, "Random Coding Cipher System and Method" 5,335,280, "Random Sum Cipher System and Method" 5,533,128, "Pseudo-Random Transposition Cipher System and Method" -- Eric Murray ericm(a)lne.com Network security and encryption consulting. PGP keyid:E03F65E5 fingerprint:50 B0 A2 4C 7D 86 FC 03 92 E8 AC E6 7E 27 29 AF

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Re: Feds reading this list, Jim Bell, and threats
by dlv＠bwalk.dm.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

"Vladimir Z. Nuri" <vznuri(a)netcom.com> writes: > I have argued with JB in the past over his ideas. while I think they > are reprehensible, a govt raid is an extremely chilling result. > I hope it doesn't have the effect of stifling the free flow of > discourse here (actually nothing ever has) but it seems likely > to have some effect. Well - at least they're not "moderating" the list, like Cocksucker John Gilmore did, and not lying blatantly about their moderation policies, like Sandy Sandfort, the C2Net salesman, did. --- Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps

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DCSB: Stewart Baker (one more time...) on Clinton AdministrationCrypto Policy and Digital Commerce
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- No, there is *not* an echo in here... The Digital Commerce Society of Boston Presents (Again!) Mr. Stewart Baker, Steptoe & Johnson formerly General Counsel, the National Security Agency (who, along with the staff of the Harvard Club, was unable to get into Boston for April's DCSB meeting because of the April Fool's day snowstorm...) "The Clinton Administration's Latest Encryption Policy and What It Means for Digital Commerce" Tuesday, May 6, 1997 12 - 2 PM The Downtown Harvard Club of Boston One Federal Street, Boston, MA Mr. Baker will discuss the details of the Clinton Administration's latest encryption policy, which seeks to encourage "key recovery" encryption by offering special export privileges to companies that support key-recovery systems. He will also discuss the reaction of American high-tech companies, foreign governments and consumers. Mr. Baker, formerly General Counsel of the National Security Agency, has an international and technology practice at Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, DC. He is a frequent contributor to WIRED and other publications on topics such as encryption, national security and Internet law. This meeting of the Digital Commerce Society of Boston will be held on Tuesday, May 6, 1997 from 12pm - 2pm at the Downtown Branch of the Harvard Club of Boston, One Federal Street. The price for lunch is $27.50. This price includes lunch, room rental, and the speaker's lunch. ;-). The Harvard Club *does* have dress code: jackets and ties for men, and "appropriate business attire" for women. We will attempt to record this meeting and put it on the web in RealAudio format at some future date We need to receive a company check, or money order, (or, if we *really* know you, a personal check) payable to "The Harvard Club of Boston", by Saturday, May 3, or you won't be on the list for lunch. Checks payable to anyone else but The Harvard Club of Boston will have to be sent back. NOTE: If we already have your check for April, and you're still coming, you *don't* need to send another one. :-) Checks should be sent to Robert Hettinga, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02131. Again, they *must* be made payable to "The Harvard Club of Boston". If anyone has questions, or has a problem with these arrangements (We've had to work with glacial A/P departments more than once, for instance), please let us know via e-mail, and we'll see if we can work something out. Planned speakers for DCSB are: June Philip A. DesAutels W3C Digital Signature Initiative July Win Treese TLS, Digital Commerce, and Export Issues August Duncan Frissell* MarketEarth September Christof Paar Elliptic Curve Cryptography October Peter Cassidy* Military Fiat and Digital Commerce *Invited We are actively searching for future speakers. If you are in Boston on the first Tuesday of the month, and you would like to make a presentation to the Society, please send e-mail to the DCSB Program Commmittee, care of Robert Hettinga, <mailto: rah(a)shipwright.com> . For more information about the Digital Commerce Society of Boston, send "info dcsb" in the body of a message to <mailto: majordomo(a)ai.mit.edu> . If you want to subscribe to the DCSB e-mail list, send "subscribe dcsb" in the body of a message to <mailto: majordomo(a)ai.mit.edu> . We look forward to seeing you there! Cheers, Robert Hettinga Moderator, The Digital Commerce Society of Boston -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQEVAwUBM0QTIMUCGwxmWcHhAQHuDAf9FGyN9YiBVE8mSr9ylcFu2uiF2kDA38P0 0DKG0mND0gc+kZiGlMeboDrAecUtoOIR+dBk38YvMd2g7oBBIDQRsMcCOdvGavNY dvcLiHfj/hj1VMk2eIWGXJa+3169gO51r90yimG6AQo6HzF8KG1sZb0pwvkPUGhB G74ac/3T1KPAbX+t8KHYgULlci8l8dwoRmPj7p4EKBHyMTJKHZTVHTkjIK3gYo+2 UaDlp4qdoeCykkeZPf7cqof6etXzbts4+dF7TkoiiRNKfF/tu7eEzZQnLbAVf1br Rx6VWG8OJXcPXcHCUSOCNjSva1E6f1yJNj2iwG3HmPBn6+fkw3kZ+A== =tTIg -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA Lesley Stahl: "You mean *anyone* can set up a web site and compete with the New York Times?" Andrew Kantor: "Yes." Stahl: "Isn't that dangerous?" The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/

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