- cypherpunks-legacy - lists.cpunks.org

Re: Skunkworks seeks brilliant hacker
by Tyler Durden 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

>From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah(a)shipwright.com> >To: cypherpunks(a)lne.com >Subject: Re: Skunkworks seeks brilliant hacker >Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 22:46:58 -0400 > >At 5:10 PM -0700 4/16/03, Steve Schear wrote: > >Skunkworks research group seeks brilliant hacker > >... to find material non-public information? > >:-) > >Cheers, >RAH > >-- >----------------- >R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> >The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.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' I actually thought this was a clever gag. -TD _________________________________________________________________ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

3 2

Plumes, LA=Bhopal++
by Major Variola (ret) 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

Chemical Plants Said to Pose Risk More than 100 facilities, including 12 in the L.A. Basin, could expose millions to toxic gas in an attack or accident, documents indicate. By Marla Cone, Times Staff Writer More than 100 chemical plants throughout the United States -- including 12 in the Los Angeles Basin -- each could expose millions of people to dangerous concentrations of toxic gas in the event of a terrorist attack or major accident, according to industry documents filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In Southern California, eight plants in Los Angeles County, three in San Bernardino County and one in Riverside County are each capable of exposing a million or more people to the gases, and some people could receive doses high enough to cause death or serious injury, the documents show. About 30 other plants in the region handle smaller volumes of chemicals that could affect between 100,000 and 1 million people. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chemplants17apr17,1,6036321.story?c… cf http://cryptome.org/cshib041003.txt http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/ap-ocgu.htm http://yosemite.epa.gov/oswer/ceppoweb.nsf/frmVZIS?OpenForm

1 0

Re: Reason's Cathy Young complains of post-9-11 "panic-mongers"
by Tyler Durden 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

I sure saw Tim's response coming. My own initial reaction was the same, except this fascist's stupidity might be a good thing (ie, for those of us that don't want to end up having a ratcage around our heads). A little Durdanian analysis will let you know what I mean... >>Measures such as limiting terror suspects' communications with their >>lawyers in order to prevent potential terrorist acts are controversial, >>and rightly so. But they are a far cry from Stalinism. So the masses reading this say: "Stalinism? You mean some people are comparing our loss of freedom with Stalinism? I don't believe that..." But the seed is now planted. Now the masses perceive other masses as being afraid we're paying too much for this war on (someone else's) terrorism. >>... >>Yes, this is a different America than it was on Sept. 10, 2001. But it >>wasn't Ashcroft, President Bush, or the Republican Congress who conspired >>to rob us of our freedom; it was the terrorists. Nice! So she tacitly admits SOMEONE'S fuckin' us over. AND, she accidently acknowledges that people believe its Bush and Asscruft. Fortunately, even the rank-and-file are smart enough to recognize who actually makes the laws here. So all that's needed are a few more horror stories of white Americans getting carted away for reading about rocketry at the library, and they'll bum-rush this show. -TD _________________________________________________________________

1 0

Re: Key Republican Not Sure on Patriot Act
by Tyler Durden 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

James Donald wrote.... >From: "James A. Donald" <jamesd(a)echeque.com> >To: cypherpunks(a)lne.com, cryptography(a)metzdowd.com >Subject: Key Republican Not Sure on Patriot Act >Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 21:23:40 -0700 > > -- >On 16 Apr 2003 at 18:16, R. A. Hettinga wrote: > > WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's plans to expand a > > post-Sept. 11 anti-terrorism law face resistance from a > > powerful House Republican who says he's not even sure he > > wants the government to keep its new powers. > >Any war does great and permanent damage to liberty. However a >short victorious war in a faraway place does considerably less >damage than most. Which is why we're lookin' at Syria next. -TD _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus

1 0

Skunkworks seeks brilliant hacker
by Steve Schear 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

Skunkworks research group seeks brilliant hacker Reply to: sf_skunkworks(a)hotmail.com Date: 2003-04-15, 11:59AM We are a small, tightly-knit special research division of a money management firm, and we are seeking a new member for our team. Our mission is to create tools that complement human intelligence. Instead of trying to predict the future with "quant" techniques, we prefer to create information systems that lead to better decisions. To fulfill our skunkworks name, we combine computers, networks, and other technology with statistics, mathematics, and the latest academic research, and use these to gain advantageous information about our investments. The candidate we seek is a skilled hacker with an active mind. You will be required to invent your own next project, implement it, and use it in collaboration with the rest of the team. ...

2 1

White House seeks to expand DNA database
by Jei 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

White House seeks to expand DNA database By Richard Willing, USA TODAY 4/15/2003 7:36 PM WASHINGTON DNA profiles from juvenile offenders and from adults who have been arrested but not convicted would be added to the FBI's national DNA database under a Bush administration proposal. Under current law, only DNA from adults convicted of crimes can be placed in the national database, which is used to compare those samples with biological evidence from the scenes of unsolved crimes. As of January, there were about 1.3 million DNA samples in the database, U.S. officials say. Adding profiles from thousands of adult arrestees and juvenile offenders would greatly expand the DNA system's worth by increasing the number of potential matches, administration officials say. Justice Department officials have discussed potential changes in federal DNA law with key members of Congress and are pushing for legislation this year. "DNA is to the 21st century what fingerprinting was to the 20th," says Deborah Daniels, assistant U.S. attorney general for justice programs. "The widespread use of DNA evidence is the future of law enforcement in this country." But critics say adding juvenile and arrestee profiles to the database threatens privacy by expanding the pool of samples beyond adult criminals. Although only digital DNA profiles would be linked to the FBI computer, the blood or saliva samples from which the DNA was drawn would be kept by state labs, they note. "It's only a matter of time before the government gets its hands on those DNA samples and starts playing around with our genetic codes," says Barry Steinhardt, privacy specialist for the American Civil Liberties Union's national office in New York City. "They say they don't want to do that, but not too long ago they were saying they'd only take DNA profiles from rapists and murderers and now they want juveniles ... We're not just on a slippery slope, we're halfway down it." DNA system defenders say the actual samples must be retained for quality- control testing and in the event a DNA match is challenged in court. They note that strict privacy laws prevent researchers from using the stored samples for any other purpose. And they note that the U.S. government already stores fingerprints from arrestees in a giant computer system without causing privacy problems. Privacy advocates aren't convinced. They note that researchers are identifying genetic markers for height, hair color and other features. They suspect that authorities soon will want to search DNA samples for such genetic markers. DNA, a cellular acid contained in blood, semen and other body fluids and tissues, is an ideal tool for crime solving. Because it contains an individual's unique genetic code, a DNA sample taken from blood, semen or even traces of saliva in a bite mark left on a crime victim can be used to match the perpetrator to the crime. In 1989, states began to collect DNA from convicted criminals and add the profiles to a computer that could match them to DNA from unsolved crimes. In 1992, the FBI created a system that linked the state databases via a bureau computer in Morgantown, W.Va. Thirty states already collect DNA profiles from juvenile offenders, who typically range in age from 13 to 17 but can be as young as 8, according to the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group. Since January, Virginia also has collected DNA from those accused of murder, rape and other violent felonies. But under U.S. law, only DNA from people convicted of crimes can be put into the FBI system. The national DNA database has had many successes. As of December, 6,670 DNA samples had been matched to unsolved crimes, the FBI says. States that take DNA from the widest range of offenders seem to produce the best results. New York has had 830 matches since it began to collect DNA from violent felons in 1996. But 80% were made after 1999, when the state began to require DNA collection from most other felonies. In Virginia, DNA from 74 crimes, including 12 rapes and nine murders, has been matched to DNA profiles from juvenile offenders during the past 10 years. "Not all juveniles are going to become adult criminals," says Paul Ferrara, director of Virginia's DNA program. "But for the few who are, the sooner we have them in the system the better." It is unclear how many new DNA samples would be put into the system if juvenile offenders and adult arrestees are added. In 1996, the last year for which data are available, 567,200 youths were found responsible for crimes by juvenile courts or other authorities. Virginia expects to collect DNA from 8,000 arrestees this year. The White House is pushing to make DNA a more effective law enforcement tool. Last month, it announced a plan to spend about $1 billion over five years to improve the national database. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-04-15-dna-usat_x.htm

1 0

Calling Internet rumor mills harmful, some move to shut sites. Defenders say free speech is at stake.
by Major Variola (ret) 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

Parents Rally to Stop 'Cyber Bullying' Calling Internet rumor mills harmful, some move to shut sites. Defenders say free speech is at stake. By Erika Hayasaki and Jia-Rui Chong, Times Staff Writers When Internet users log onto http://www.schoolscandals.com and click on the Beverly Hills High School link, they will find a message calling one student a "retard" who "deserves to go to hell." A posting in the Frost Middle School chat room describes a student as a "homosexual with a pigeon-like face and a penguin-like body." Such name-calling and gossip about students are common on the 3-year-old Web site, similar to the crude messages scribbled inside of school bathroom stalls for decades but on a much larger scale. That "cyber bullying" has an audience of tens of thousands, and it features links for chat rooms about nearly 100 Southern California middle and high schools, particularly in the San Fernando Valley. As a result, parents and school administrators are calling for the site's closure, contending much of its content is libelous and harmful. ... Wendy Seltzer, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an online civil liberties organization, said that the authors of the postings might be held liable, but that a 1996 federal law protects many Internet service providers from lawsuits about their content. Only sites like http://www.salon.com, http://www.latimes.com and others can be sued for defamation, since they hold the right to edit their content, she said. The notion is that most Web hosts "don't look at all, because if you do look, you might be held liable for what your users are saying," she said. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-website17apr17,1,911742.story?coll=…

1 0

Re: Kill MS, again, but sideways
by Major Variola (ret) 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

At 11:30 PM 4/15/03 +0200, Thomas Shaddack wrote: > >The case of Blackboard security, which recently flashed through Politech >(thanks, Declan!), nicely illustrates the situation - technical >shortcomings addressed by lawyers. Lawyers are merely implementing what the *legislators* let them. The legislators are the ones deserving of the jumpercables on the genitals, though perhaps though the lawyers could be required to do the honors. Since lawyers decay into legislators, this would have beneficial prophylactic educational effects. >Vendors, who keep crucial informations away from the customers, should be >shot. No Thomas, a market will find better uses for them if your arguments have merit. (Which they do, but it takes time.) It is, after all, the right of any individual (or group thereof) to keep secrets. (And Thomas, I wouldn't argue against that *here* :-) Or bind others with consensual contracts like NDAs. Much as it is the right of anyone to diddle with anything they own, and talk about it freely. >The ones, who try to sue the reverse engineers, should be boiled in oil before being shot. The nice thing about jumpercables is the longer you use them, the lesser the ohmic resistance of the legislator, until you get charring, at which point you can move on to the next deserving most honorable sir. ... PS: TS you might at this point enjoy _A Xenix Chainsaw Massacre_

3 2

W32.Klez.E removal tools
by eugen 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

1 0

Key Republican Not Sure on Patriot Act
by R. A. Hettinga 17 Apr '03

17 Apr '03

<http://www.newsday.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=sns%2Dap%2Danti%2…> Newsday.com Key Republican Not Sure on Patriot Act By JESSE J. HOLLAND Associated Press Writer April 16, 2003, 12:08 PM EDT WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's plans to expand a post-Sept. 11 anti-terrorism law face resistance from a powerful House Republican who says he's not even sure he wants the government to keep its new powers. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, complains that the Justice Department isn't sharing enough information for lawmakers to make a judgment on how well or poorly the USA Patriot Act is working. "I can't answer that because the Justice Department has classified as top-secret most of what it's doing under the Patriot Act," Sensenbrenner said when asked about the future of the anti-terrorism law in a recent interview. Sensenbrenner maintains that because the department refuses to be forthcoming, it is losing the public relation battle needed to extend the law beyond its October 2005 expiration, much less expand it. "The burden will be on the Justice Department and whomever is attorney general at that time to convince Congress and the president to extend the Patriot Act or modify it," he said. "But because of the fact that everything has been classified as top-secret, the public debate is centering on (the act's) onerousness." For example, the American Civil Liberties Union this week used newspaper ads to attack one provision that the ACLU says allows the government to enter homes, conduct searches, download computer contents and Internet viewing histories without informing the occupant that such a search was conducted. "Enacting policies that allow the government to enter our homes in secret and to collect highly personal information won't make us safer, but it will make us less free," said Anthony Romero, the ACLU's executive director. A Justice Department spokesman said the Bush administration will do its best to answer more than 100 questions from give Sensenbrenner and House Democrats about the law and its use in the war on terrorism. "The courts have upheld our actions time and time again," spokesman Mark Corallo said Tuesday. But "we will do everything we can to cooperate with Congress and with Chairman Sensenbrenner in answering his questions." Passed weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, the USA Patriot Act granted the government broad new powers to use wiretaps, electronic and computer eavesdropping and searches and the authority to access a wide range of financial and other information in its investigations. It also broke down the traditional wall between FBI investigators and intelligence agents. Justice officials won't say what their new proposal would do, but "we will present Congress with an anti-terrorism package sometime in the near future," Corallo said. An early draft leaked to reporters in November suggested creating a DNA database of "suspected terrorists;" forcing suspects to prove why they should be released on bail, rather than have the prosecution prove why they should be held; and deporting U.S. citizens who become members of or help terrorist groups. But that draft was never reviewed by Attorney General John Ashcroft and about two-thirds of it will not be proposed to Congress, according to Justice Department officials speaking on condition of anonymity. Advocates say the current law has helped quash other terrorism attacks, but opponents claim it has eroded civil liberties. Among the advocates is Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, who isn't waiting on 2005 to craft legislation to extend the life of the law. Last week, Hatch sought to extend the act through an amendment to a bill that would further expand government wiretapping authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Lawmakers left for their Easter break before considering it. "It seems to me to be ridiculous to take away the best law enforcement tool against terrorism before we get rid of terrorism," said Hatch, R-Utah. "This bill has helped us protect ourselves from terrorism both inside and outside the country. It's a tough bill, but it's constitutional and it works." The Justice Department likely will need full Republican support to renew the anti-terrorism law, with congressional Democrats are already lining up against Hatch's legislation. A renewal effort "will be highly controversial and is not justified by the Justice Department's own record," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Judiciary Committee's ranking Democrat. * __ On the Net: Senate Judiciary Committee: http://judiciary.senate.gov House Judiciary Committee questions on USA Patriot Act: http://www.house.gov/judiciary/patriot040103.htm Copyright 2003, The Associated Press -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.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' --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing List Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to majordomo(a)metzdowd.com

2 1