December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: MCI hit with encryption virus [CNN] (fwd)
by Ian Moya 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Anyone else find it interesting that the release for this outside of NAI press release was at CNN/fn and not CNN's tech section? The stock shot up 6 and 3/8 on the news. Pretty nice Christmas bonus to say the least. Couple other more timely and detailed notes on the event: http://www.ilhawaii.net/webnews/wed/aq/Nd55_38.html http://www.ilhawaii.net/webnews/wed/dm/Nd55_51.html Also a local TV station (Austin) on the 5pm news last night had some official working on this fiasco quoted as saying that this was the first large case of "cyberterrorism" that he had encountered. I hope the national media doesn't start goose stepping to that account things; otherwise, expect this and related events to be cited by CIAO and other gubment offices in their initiatives next year to round up network incident response teams nationally and globally. http://www.ciao.gov/ http://www.pccip.gov/ moya -- a Navigo farmer Have an <Interesting> New Millenium- <http://www.netmeg.net/jargo/terms/i/interesting.html> <Days: 374 Hours: 11 Minutes: 42 Seconds: 6> > Forwarded message: > >From owner-cypherpunks(a)ssz.com Tue Dec 22 07:32:13 1998 > From: Jim Choate <ravage(a)einstein.ssz.com> > Subject: MCI hit with encryption virus [CNN] > To: cypherpunks(a)einstein.ssz.com (Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer) > Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 07:31:11 -0600 (CST) > > > X-within-URL: http://cnnfn.com/digitaljam/9812/21/virus_pkg/ > > > From Correspondent Bruce Francis > > December 21, 1998: 7:56 p.m. ET > > > July 30, 1998 Network Associates MCI WorldCom More Quotes.... Network > > Associates Anti-virus Research Center NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Employees > > at MCI WorldCom were confronted with a science fiction scenario made > > cold fact on Monday when a computer virus struck the company's > > sprawling network, encrypting and destroying files. > > [INLINE] To make things worse, virus consultants Network Associates > > (NETA) say that the virus -- called "Remote Explorer" -- is unlike > > any other and may be the smartest, most dangerous computer bug to > > date. > > [text deleted]

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First call for papers
by Gawlick, Thomas 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hi everyone ! Please find the attached first call for papers for a new international forum for information security. We apologize if you have multiple receipts of this message. We wish you all a joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! secunet Security Networks GmbH CQRE - Team First CALL FOR PAPERS -------------------------------------- CQRE [Secure] Exhibition & Congress -------------------------------------------------------- Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 1999, Duesseldorf, Germany CQRE [Secure] Exhibition & Congress provides a new international forum giving a close-up view on information security in the context of rapidly evolving economic processes. The unprecedented reliance on computer technology has transformed the previous technical side-issue "information security" to a management problem requiring decisions of strategic importance. Hence, the targeted audience represents decision makers from government, industry, commercial, and academic communities. If you are concerned with solutions relating to the protection of your countryŽs information infrastructure or a commercial enterprise, consider submitting a paper to the CQRE [Secure] Exhibition & Congress. We are looking for papers and panel discussions covering: * ELECTRONIC COMMERCE * CORPORATE SECURITY --------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- - new business processes - access control - secure business transactions - secure teleworking - online merchandising - enterprise key management - electronic payment / banking - IT-audit - innovative applications - risk / disaster management * NETWORK SECURITY - security awareness and training --------------------------------------------- - implementation, accreditation, - virtual private networks and operation of secure systems - security aspects in internet in a government, business, or utilization industry environment - security aspects in multi- * SECURITY TECHNOLOGY media-applications -------------------------------------------------- - intrusion detection systems - cryptography * LEGAL ASPECTS - public key infrastructures ------------------------------ - chip card technology - digital signature acts - biometrics - privacy and anonymity * TRUST MANAGEMENT - crypto regulation -------------------------------------------------- - liability - evaluation of products and systems - international harmonization of security evaluation criteria * STANDARDIZATION * FUTURE PERSPECTIVES Any other contribution addressing the involving of IT security in economic processes will also be welcome. Authors are invited to submit an extended abstract of their contribution to the program chair. The submissions should be original research results, survey articles or "high quality" case studies and position papers. Product advertisements are welcome for presentation, but will not be considered for the proceedings. Manuscripts must be in English, and not more than 2.000 words. The extended abstracts should be in a form suitable for anonymous review, without author's names, affiliations, acknowledgements or obvious references. Contributions must not be submitted in parallel to any conference or workshop that has proceedings. Separately, an abstract of the paper with no more than 200 words and with title, name and addresses (incl. an E-mail address) of the authors may be submitted. In case of multiple authors the contacting author must be clearly identified. We strongly encourage electronic submission in Postscript format. The submissions must be in 11pt format, use standard fonts or include the necessary fonts. Proposals for panel discussions should also be sent to the program chair. Panels of interest include those that present alternative/controversial viewpoints or those that encourage lively discussions of relevant issues. Panels that are collections of unrefereed papers will not be considered. Panel proposals should be a minimum of one page describing the subject matter, the appropriateness of the panel for this conference and should identify participants and their respective viewpoints. MAILING LIST: -------------------------------------- If you want to receive emails with subsequent Call for Papers and registration information, please send a brief mail to cqre(a)secunet.de. WEB SITE: -------------------------------------- Up to date information about CQRE [Secure] Exhibition & Congress will be available at http://www.secunet.de/Forum/cqre.html IMPORTANT DATES: -------------------------------------- - Deadline for submission of extended abstracts May 14, 1999 - Deadline for submission of panel proposals June 1, 1999 - Notification of acceptance June 25, 1999 - Deadline for submission of complete papers July 30, 1999 PROGRAM COMMITTEE: -------------------------------------- Johannes Buchmann (TU Darmstadt) Dirk Fox (Secorvo) Walter Fumy (Siemens) Rüdiger Grimm (GMD) Helena Handschuh (ENST/Gemplus) Thomas Hoeren (Uni Muenster) Pil Joong Lee (POSTECH) Alfred Menezes (U.of Waterloo / Certicom) David Naccache (Gemplus) Clifford Neumann (USC) Mike Reiter (Bell Labs) Matt Robshaw (RSA) Richard Schlechter (EU-comm.) Bruce Schneier (Counterpane) Tsuyoshi Takagi (NTT) Yiannis Tsiounis (GTE Labs) Michael Waidner (IBM) Moti Yung (CERTCO) Robert Zuccherato (Entrust) PROGRAM CHAIR: -------------------------------------- Rainer Baumgart secunet Security Networks GmbH Weidenauer Str. 223 - 225 57076 Siegen Germany Tel.: +49-271-48950-15 Fax: +49-271-48950-50 R.Baumgart(a)secunet.de

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RE: politically correct bomb graffiti
by Jim Gillogly 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

~> WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Department officials said Monday they were ~> distressed about ``thoughtless graffiti'' referring to the Islamic holy ~> month of Ramadan on a Navy bomb being prepared for dropping on Iraq. xasper8d writes: > What's the 90's PC war cry? Go ahead and nuke 'em, just don't be > insensitive about it. While I also would be more offended by someone bombing me into a thin film of viscera and connective tissue than by having them ridicule my beliefs, I think the Pentagon was more concerned about the effect on our allies in the Gulf. The recent bombing was an attack against the Iraqi military and leadership rather than on Islam, and having that graffito get big airplay could offend other countries that we'd prefer not to offend. So while they looked silly complaining about the Ramadan reference, they'd have looked worse if they'd passed it off with a shrug and/or another ethnic or religious slur. There is of course a long tradition of personalizing ordnance; ISTR that the bomb in Dr. Strangelove had more of a message than just its megatonnage. -- Jim Gillogly Sterday, 2 Yule S.R. 1999, 18:50 12.19.5.14.5, 11 Chicchan 18 Mac, Sixth Lord of Night

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Re: alternative b-money creation
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 10:28 AM -0500 on 12/22/98, Ian Grigg wrote: > This is the Hiawatha Hours, as I rudely called them > (I keep forgetting the name, sorry). Now, these are > working systems. They are more or less the same as > the LETS systems, which are sort of successful in many > hundreds of places. Ithaca Hours. They like LETS, are based, more or less, on Marx's "Labor Theory of Value". 'nuff said, I figure. Stupid is as stupid does, to quote a famous Alabaman... :-). Cheers, RAH ----------------- Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)philodox.com> Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism <http://www.philodox.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

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politically correct bomb graffiti
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

..way too amusing.. Pentagon Decries U.S. Bomb Graffiti Tuesday, December 22, 1998; 1:24 a.m. EST WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Department officials said Monday they were distressed about ``thoughtless graffiti'' referring to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan on a Navy bomb being prepared for dropping on Iraq. The Associated Press last Saturday transmitted a photograph of a 2,000-pound laser-guided bomb on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the Persian Gulf waiting to be loaded on F-14 and F-18 jet fighters. The bomb bore several inscriptions, including one that said, ``Here's a Ramadan present from Chad Rickenberg.'' ``Department of Defense officials were distressed to learn of thoughtless graffiti mentioning the holy month of Ramadan written on a piece of U.S. ordnance during Operation Desert Fox'' in Iraq, chief Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said in a statement. ``Religious intolerance is an anathema to Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen and to all Americans who cherish the right to worship freely,'' he added. ``The United States deeply respects Islam. We are grateful for our good relations with Arab and Islamic peoples, and we appreciate the important contributions of Muslim-Americans to the U.S. military and to our nation as a whole. ``I know our people in uniform respect and appreciate religious practices different from their own. This incident is a rare exception that does not reflect American policy or values.''

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Returned post for press-english-technical@lists.datafellows.com (fwd)
by Missouri FreeNet Administration 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

They are using the EzMLM Pgm??? What does *that* tell you??? Yours, J.A. Terranson sysadmin(a)mfn.org -- If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they should give serious consideration towards setting a better example: Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate... This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers, associates, or others. Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the first place... -------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: 22 Dec 1998 15:51:33 -0000 From: press-english-technical-help(a)lists.datafellows.com To: measl(a)mfn.org Subject: Returned post for press-english-technical(a)lists.datafellows.com Hi! This is the ezmlm program. I'm managing the press-english-technical(a)lists.datafellows.com mailing list. I'm sorry, the list moderators have failed to act on your post. Thus, I'm returning it to you. If you feel that this is in error, please repost the message or contact a list moderator directly. --- Enclosed, please find the message you sent. To: cypherpunks(a)toad.com, Marita Nasman-Repo <Marita.Nasman-Repo(a)DataFellows.com>, pirkka.palomaki(a)DataFellows.com, ari.hypponen(a)DataFellows.com Subject: Re: MEDIA RELEASE: Data Fellows Joins the Microsoft Security Partners Program From: Missouri FreeNet Administration <measl(a)mfn.org> Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 12:23:32 -0600 (CST) cc: press-pr(a)lists.datafellows.com, df-pr-us(a)lists.datafellows.com, press-english-technical(a)lists.datafellows.com, press-english-general(a)lists.datafellows.com Delivered-To: moderator for press-english-technical(a)lists.datafellows.com In-Reply-To: <3.0.32.19981215170136.0098ad60(a)smtp.datafellows.com> Posted-Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998 12:23:32 -0600 (CST) On Tue, 15 Dec 1998, Marita Nasman-Repo Blathered: :Helsinki, Finland, December 15, 1998-- Data Fellows, the global leader in :developing data security software solutions, has been invited to join the :Microsoft Security Partners Program. "Invited"? You mean they finally accepted your application, right? :The Microsoft Security Partners Program :(http://www.microsoft.com/security/partners) provides customers with the :tools and information they need to establish, test and maintain effective :information security for their computing infrastructure. By providing real-life examples of how NOT to implement security practices. By simply purchasing these failed products (at only *slightly* exhorbitant prices), so can learn by example: see for yourself just how easy it is to completely botch a security directive. Witness how thoroughly you can mangle password encryption. Learn what major design flaws *really* look like! :The program brings :together software manufacturers, security consultants and security :trainers, making it even easier for customers to provide robust security in :their Microsoft Windows NT operating system-based networks. Just as soon as it becomes available? Oh, BTW, when *will* that be??? :Three Data Fellows products are included in the Microsoft Security Partners :Program. I'm sorry. But don't worry, if you keep working on it, you'll be able to sell it to a *real* vendor someday... :F-Secure Workstation Suite consists of malicious code detection :and removal as well as unobtrusive file and network encryption, Very unobtrusive, I'm sure! Does the attacker even know it's there? : all :integrated into a policy-based management architecture. Hmmm... Somebody's been playing with their buzzword-generator again :) :F-Secure VPN+ :provides a software-based, IPSec/IKE VPN solution scaleable for large :corporate networks as well as remote and small office networks. Was that IPSec/IKE, or IPSec-like? I vote for the latter. It's just like IPSec, but without wasting all those nasty cycles on dumb things - like encryption: it's *so much* more user-friendly when it doesnt [further] slow the speed of new window open/closes... : F-Secure :FileCrypto is the first and only product to integrate strong real-time :encryption directly into the Windows NT-based file system. Could be, we already know that Micro$loth has *no clue* when it comes to these things (Right Paul???)... :"Microsoft is pleased to include Data Fellows as part of its Security :Partners Program," said Karan Khanna, Windows NT Security Product Manager :at Microsoft Corp. Of course you are. Micro$loth would be pleased to welcome Joseph Stalin into the Security Partners Program. : "This program will help our mutual customers develop and :deploy secure solutions built on the Windows NT platform." Just as soon as they can get Windows NT to run faster than a 6809 with 1k of 512ns RAM and a single parallel port for IO ;-) :"The relationship with Microsoft shows Data Fellows commitment to improve :the native security of standalone and networked computers with a :comprehensive, centrally managed suite of security services," said Risto :Siilasmaa, president and CEO of Data Fellows. You're *that* worried about Micro$loth's current offerings, huh? Personally, I'd let them fend for themselves, but... :"Data Fellows is committed to :providing globally available And this *IS* your *FIRST* priority, isn't it? :seamless security for Windows users; security :that is strong yet easy to manage and economical." Great! Let me know when it's available! :Data Fellows is one of the worlds leading developers of data security :products. Really? Who decided that? Do you have any research to back up this awe-inspiring claim? : The company develops, markets and supports anti-virus, data :security and cryptography software products for corporate computer :networks. That's only because most of the private networks already know better. Yours, J.A. Terranson sysadmin(a)mfn.org -- If Governments really want us to behave like civilized human beings, they should give serious consideration towards setting a better example: Ruling by force, rather than consensus; the unrestrained application of unjust laws (which the victim-populations were never allowed input on in the first place); the State policy of justice only for the rich and elected; the intentional abuse and occassionally destruction of entire populations merely to distract an already apathetic and numb electorate... This type of demogoguery must surely wipe out the fascist United States as surely as it wiped out the fascist Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The views expressed here are mine, and NOT those of my employers, associates, or others. Besides, if it *were* the opinion of all of those people, I doubt there would be a problem to bitch about in the first place... --------------------------------------------------------------------

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CL: PJ O'Rourke on economic books & Hayek
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

My only exception to this rule is "Investments", by Sharpe, which, unfortunately, isn't for the innumerate. :-). Cheers, RAH --- begin forwarded text Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 16:56:45 EST Reply-To: Hayek Related Research <HAYEK-L(a)MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: Hayek Related Research <HAYEK-L(a)MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Hayek-L List Host <HayekList(a)AOL.COM> Subject: CL: PJ O'Rourke on economic books & Hayek To: HAYEK-L(a)MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU >> Current Literature << -- economics / humor "A NOTE ABOUT THE BIBLIOGRAPHY There isn't one. I'm too lazy. And who ever heard of humor with footnotes? But there are certain books which I found crucial to a neophyte student of economics, especially if (and I mean no insult to the texts by this) that student is uninformed, innumerate, light-minded, and a big goof-off. In other words, these are the books to read if you want to know something about economics but have never gotten further into the subject than figuring out a trifecta at Belmont: _Free to Choose_ and _Capitalism and Freedom_ by Milton and Rose Friedman ,,, _The Road to Serfdom_ by Friedrich A. Hayek ,,, _The Armchair Economist by Steven E. Landsburg ,,, There are certain books you should avoid, such as anything with the words Investment and Success in the title and everything ever written by John Kenneth Galbraith ,,," P. J. O'Rourke, _Eat the Rich: A Treatise On Economics_. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. 1998. pp. xvi-xvi. Current Literature is a regular feature of the Hayek-L list. --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)philodox.com> Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism <http://www.philodox.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

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Advanced Crypto Graduate Course
by Robert Hettinga 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- begin forwarded text Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 20:00:31 -0500 (EST) From: Christof Paar <christof(a)ece.WPI.EDU> To: "WPI.Crypto.Seminar":; cc: DCSB <dcsb(a)ai.mit.edu> Subject: Advanced Crypto Graduate Course Sender: bounce-dcsb(a)ai.mit.edu Reply-To: Christof Paar <christof(a)ece.WPI.EDU> Please find below an announcement for the Crypto II graduate course. I'll be happy to answer any question about the course contents. For registration questions, please contact WPI's Graduate Admission Office at "gao(a)wpi.edu". Regards, Christof *********************************************************************** Christof Paar, Assistant Professor Cryptography and Information Security (CRIS) Group ECE Dept., WPI, 100 Institute Rd., Worcester, MA 01609, USA fon: (508) 831 5061 email: christof(a)ece.wpi.edu fax: (508) 831 5491 www: http://ee.wpi.edu/People/faculty/cxp.html *********************************************************************** >>> WORKSHOP ON CRYPTOGRAPHIC HARDWARE AND EMBEDDED SYSTEMS (CHES) <<< >>> WPI, August 12 & 13, 1999 <<< >>> check http://ece.wpi.edu/Research/crypt/ches <<< ------------------------------------------------------------------------ EE 579R, ADVANCED TOPICS IN CRYPTOGRAPHY Spring `99 Semester WPI, Thursdays, 5:30-8:30pm, AK219 First day of class: January 21 COURSE DESCRIPTION The course is a continuation of EE 578/CS 578, Cryptography and Data Security. It will provide a deeper insight into several areas of cryptology which are of great practical and theoretical importance. One focus of the course is on techniques for efficient software and (to a somewhat lesser extend) hardware implementations for public-key algorithms. The second focus is on attacks against public-key schemes, which is fundamental for an in-depth understanding of the choice of practical algorithms. Many techniques will be introduced which are usually only treated in the research literature. SYLLABUS Week 1: Introduction Overview on practical public-key algorithms and efficient implementation techniques. Efficient implementation of RSA: The Chinese Remainder Theorem. Week 2: Selected public-key algorithms Review of the generalized discrete logarithm problem and elliptic curve cryptosystems. Week 3: Efficient Implementation Introduction to long number arithmetic. Week 4: Efficient Implementation Fast modular reduction algorithms. Week 5: Efficient Implementation Fast inversion algorithms. Week 6: Efficient Implementation Efficient exponentiation algorithms. Week 7 Midterm Exam Week 8: Attacks Attacking DL systems: Baby-step giant-step method and Pollard's rho method. Week 9: Attacks Attacking DL systems: Parallelization of Pollard's rho method. Week 10 Topics TBA, depending on student interest. Possibilities are: Index-calculus attack, differential cryptanalysis, correlation attacks, modern block cipher design, Galois field arithmetic. Week 11 as week 10 lecture Week 12: Student presentations Week 13: Student presentations Week 14 Final Exam. TEXTBOOKS A. Menezes, P. van Oorschot, S. Vanstone: Handbook of Applied Cryptography. CRC Press. (primary, mandatory) D. Stinson, Cryptography: Theory and Practice. CRC Press, 1995. (recommended) PREREQUISITES The knowledge of the material of EE 578/CS 578, Cryptography and Data Security, is assumed (in particular with respect to public-key algorithms). In addition, some experience with the C programming language is required. *********************************************************************** Christof Paar, Assistant Professor Cryptography and Information Security (CRIS) Group ECE Dept., WPI, 100 Institute Rd., Worcester, MA 01609, USA fon: (508) 831 5061 email: christof(a)ece.wpi.edu fax: (508) 831 5491 www: http://ee.wpi.edu/People/faculty/cxp.html *********************************************************************** >>> WORKSHOP ON CRYPTOGRAPHIC HARDWARE AND EMBEDDED SYSTEMS (CHES) <<< >>> WPI, August 12 & 13, 1999 <<< >>> check http://ece.wpi.edu/Research/crypt/ches <<< For help on using this list (especially unsubscribing), send a message to "dcsb-request(a)ai.mit.edu" with one line of text: "help". --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)philodox.com> Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism <http://www.philodox.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

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Re: Good archive of AES algorithms?
by jim finder 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Thanks to everyone who responded to me on the AES archive. Most people pointed me to the counterpane.com web site, which is very nice and well done, and answers most of my questions. Unfortunately, though, Counterpane itself is one of the candidates, so the site may not exactly be unbiased. Is there any site with a similar scope being run by a disinterested party? Thanks again! ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

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Jury Duty
by Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

In 22 years of being qualified, I am facing my first jury duty summons as a regular employee and see no way out except to report. The old self-employment, financial burden exemption no longer applies. Is there a good web site where I can find other legal means to recuse myself (I live in AZ), or if I do decide to report and get on a trial, a web site on my rights to vote my conscious, aka jury nullification? The other option is to just lie, it says the penalty is that of perjury and it seems we shall soon have case law that perjury is no longer a crime. Not a facetious post, I have seen posts here on this before, but never really paid attention because it didn't affect me. If no answers, I will resort to a search engine. But I thought this letter would get me better quality advice. Thanks

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