- cypherpunks-legacy - lists.cpunks.org

Re: Simple Hardware RNG Idea
by norm＠netcom.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 8:20 PM 10/5/95, Simon Spero wrote: >On Thu, 5 Oct 1995, Norman Hardy wrote: .... >> You presumably use the oddness of the count for your random bit in some >> predetermined time interval. External radiation can change, but not bias >> the parity. If the counter saturates, the counter may be biased towards one > >Hmmm. But isn't this method slightly biased? If the probability of N >events < the probability of N+1 events, wouldn't you need a large number >of events per bit to make the bias insignificant? .... What you really need is entropy (information). I propose concatenating several counts and sending them thru MD5. The counts are distributed the same way but are independent so that the entropy of the concatenation is the sum of the entropies. Each count has a Poisson distribution. That tells you how many bits of entropy there are in the input to the MD5. Take that many bits, rounded down, as your random bits. If there are an average of x bits in a time interval then the probability that the count will be exactly K is (x^K/(K!))exp(-x). That is the Poisson distribution. The entropy is then: - sum[i=0 to infinity] (x^K/(K!))exp(-x)log( (x^K/(K!))exp(-x)) = - sum[i=0 to infinity] (x^K/(K!))exp(-x)(log(x^K/(K!)) - x) = - sum[i=0 to infinity] (x^K/(K!))exp(-x)(K*log(x) - log(K!) - x) Here is a klutzy Scheme program to evaluate these: (define (sum g)(letrec ((ss (lambda (n) (if (= n 0) (g 0) (+ (g n) (ss (- n 1))))))) (ss 30))) (define (log2 x)(/ (log x)(log 2))) (define (fact n)(if (= n 0) 1 (* n (fact (- n 1))))) (define (p x k) (* (/ (expt x k)(fact k))(exp (- x)))) (define (en n)(sum (lambda(x) (let ((c (p x n))) (if (= c 0) 0 (* c (log2 c))))))) (en 1) => 2.07 (en 3) => 2.92 (en 10) => 3.73 (en 15) => 4.0 I.e. if 1 count is expected on average there are two bits of entropy in the count (supprising!) and if the count averages 10 then there are 3.7 bits worth. It goes up as the log. Before you bet your enterprise on this scheme consider that the math was done at 03:30 AM.

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Re: subjective names and MITM
by Bill Stewart 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 10:24 PM 10/5/95 -0400, Adam Shostack <adam(a)homeport.org> wrote: > The key does indeed have a high likelihood of being unique, >but dealing with 1024 bit identifiers could strain database systems, >especially when 100 well chosen bits would be than enough. If everybody in the world has a 1024-bit key, that's 750 GB; that's not bad at all by the time everybody in the world would have one, and you could do MD5s in about 100 GB, which is a little more convenient. Today, for 750 GB, you'd probably have tape in your system, or optical jukebox. But not everybody has one; on the other hand, I suppose individuals in well-heeled countries might end up with dozens of their own. On the other hand, the number of 1024-bit primes is something like 2^1023/log(2^1024) (if I remember right), or roughly 2^1013. The probability of two independent uniformly distributed primes matching is about 2^1023/2^32, which is still an astoundingly mindbogglingly LARGE number. If you've got 1024 bits of entropy in your input process, there will not _be_ any matches. (If people insist on using sources of randomness like clocks or user names, the chances are a lot higher....) Now, for 128-bit hashes, whether it's MD5 or just the near-bottom 128 key bits, by the time you get 2^64 of them together, you've got a 50% chance of a match. Not a problem, since you'll not likely need that many, even for the 2^33 people in the world. Still not a problem. #--- # Thanks; Bill # Bill Stewart, Freelance Information Architect, stewarts(a)ix.netcom.com # Phone +1-510-247-0664 Pager/Voicemail 1-408-787-1281 #---

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Re: subjective names and MITM
by tcmay＠got.net 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

At 12:51 AM 10/6/95, Scott Brickner wrote: >A public key *is* "very probably unique". A "randomly selected" 1024 bit >prime number has a specific amount of entropy in it. The likelihood of >two users world wide "randomly" choosing the same such prime may be >precisely determined (assuming you can figure the entropy). > >Who needs a KCA to certify it? > >The real benefit of the KCA is as a means of linking the key with a unique >person. As I've commented before, anonyms have no meaningful "credit rating". If I understand your usage of "anonym" correctly, I think you are clearly wrong. An anonymous agent who has no persistence (no past history, no continuing history, no expectation by others of future history) probably has no credit rating, no "reputation." However, an anonymous agent _with_ a persistent presence can have a credit rating or reputation. Many examples of this, e.g., Pr0duct Cypher, Black Unicorn, S. Boxx, and others. The "linking with a unique person" is not especially important, IMO. --Tim May Views here are not the views of my Internet Service Provider or Government. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay(a)got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^756839 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."

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Trust company banks on Internet
by rah＠shipwright.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- begin forwarded text Date: Fri, 6 Oct 95 08:10:41 -0400 From: "GORD JENKINS" <jenkins(a)fox.nstn.ca> X-Minuet-Version: Minuet1.0_Beta_14.1 Reply-To: <JENKINS(a)fox.nstn.ca> X-Popmail-Charset: English To: www-buyinfo(a)allegra.att.com Subject: Trust company banks on Internet First Internet Banker ?? !! Check out http://www.bayshore.com >From the Toronto Globe and Mail page B 1 Fri 6 Oct 95 "Bayshore set to become first Internet banker - Trust promises approval in as little as two minutes" >From the Ottawa Citizen Page B7 Fri 6 Oct 95 " Trust company banks on Internet -Financial shopping in cyberspace arrives in Canada next week with the first intractive banking sevice on the Internet. Analysts say there is a lot more coming soon. Bayshore Trust Co.plans to take applcations for loans up to $15,000 and orders for guaranteed investment certificates directly from customers on the World Wide Web" Gordon Jenkins jenkins(a)fox.nstn.ca http://www.infop.com/karoma -- GORD JENKINS e maik JENKINS(a)fox.nstn.ca tel 613 794 6735 fax 613 723 8938 --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah(a)shipwright.com) Shipwright Development Corporation, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA (617) 323-7923 "Reality is not optional." --Thomas Sowell >>>>Phree Phil: Email: zldf(a)clark.net http://www.netresponse.com/zldf <<<<<

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PCMCIA Crypto
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

PCMCIA Establishes Security Card Working Group The dream of a standardized encryption interface may soon be realized! San Jose, Calif., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- PCMCIA has formed a new Working Group dedicated to standardizing and promoting the PC Card as an interface for data encryption and digital signature applications. The Working Group was formed to work within the PCMCIA Technical Committee to help the Association define and standardize the capabilities and requirements for PC Card Security Card devices. The Group's immediate goals are to define the necessary extensions to the PC Card Standard that will allow easy identification of Security Card devices, and to proactively identify other vendors in the market and solicit their support for standardizing PC Cards as a security device. The formation of this Group represents the formalization of an industry trend. A standardized form factor and interface for security devices is finally an attainable goal thanks to the widespread acceptance of PC Card technology," said Gary Visser, a senior software engineer with Spyrus Communications and Co-Chairperson of the Working Group. "It is this high level of host support that will promote PC Cards as a solution for electronic banking and commerce." PC Cards are seen by many experts as an ideal solution for digital signature and data encryption applications due to the established base of PC Card slots, and because most security applications are math intensive and require the processing power and storage of computers. The proposal to form the Group was presented to PCMCIA by Spyrus, Inc. of San Jose, California. The group will be co-chaired by Edward Tuggle of IBM Corporation and Visser of Spyrus, Inc. Visit PCMCIA's World Wide Web site at <http://www.pc-card.com>. Contact: Greg Barr, Public Relations Coordinator, of PCMCIA, 408-433-2273, ext. 114, or <gbarr(a)pcmcia.org>.

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Supercomputer export ease
by John Young 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

WSJ, Oct 6, 1995. U.S. Export Rules to Ease On Some Supercomputers Washington -- President Clinton is expected to announce today that he is easing export restrictions on certain U.S. supercomputers, a move sought by the computer industry. Administration officials say that given continuing technological advances and world-wide availability of many high-speed computers, the current restrictions are unrealistic and damaging to American companies. Critics contend, however, that easing the restrictions will exacerbate weapons proliferation. Mr. Clinton approved raising the speed of computers that may be exported to most countries to 2,000 million theoretical operations a second, or MTOPS, from 1,500 MTOPS, according to officials. For certain nations, including China, Egypt, Israel, India, Pakistan, Syria and Russia, civilian customers would be able to buy computers with speeds up to 7,000 MTOPS without prior government approval. Military customers in those countries could purchase computers with speeds of 2,000 to 7,000 MTOPS but only with an individual export license. Certain nations, such as Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Libya, would still be banned from buying high-speed computers. [End]

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National Secuirty Science and Technology Strategy
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

This excerpt is from the summary of a long policy statement on the National Security Science and Technology Strategy published by the White House on September 19. The full report is well worth reading -- it addresses military, economic, intelligence, scientific and technological issues and lays out projected initiatives. Has anyone seen news reports on this? ----- >From URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/White_House/EOP/OSTP/ nssts/html/execsum-plain.html Executive Summary _______________________________________________________ In March 1995, President Clinton ordered a sweeping reexamination of the United States Government's approach to putting science and technology to the service of national security and global stability in light of the changed security environment, increasing global economic competition, and growing budgetary pressures. This National Security Science and Technology Strategy, the product of that reexamination, is the country's first comprehensive Presidential statement of national security science and technology priorities. It augments the President's National Security Strategy of Engagement and Enlargement by articulating science and technology policies and initiatives that support the President's three primary national security objectives: enhancing our military readiness and capabilities, preventing conflict from occurring through engagement with other nations, and promoting prosperity at home. It advances that document's central approach of preventing conflict and maintaining the capability to respond should conflict occur. It is built on the recognition that our security depends on economic strength as well as military power. And it is grounded in the conviction that investment in science and technology is central to our ability to meet the challenges ahead. This National Security Science and Technology Strategy defines our new approaches to applying science and technology to the challenges that most directly affect our nation's security. [snip balance of summary]

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Open Market (more info)
by Harry S. Hawk 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Basically they are going to set up a web site to act as a clearing house for security related breaches. On particular thing they will do is: 1) Hosting a web site where a user with any broswer can find out if their browser is secure. List security problems associated with that browser. "basically a self diagnostic center" That will be done by tues. -- Harry Hawk

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Transgenders begin lobbying against ITAR
by Censored Girls Anonymous 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Transgender Lobby Days has come and gone. I taught transgender persons about PGP and ITAR. It got a good reception, and they are beginning to use it. We went to all 535 congressional offices in two days, and began to get the "transgender lobby block" noticed. We did get all of the legislative staffers email addresses, and will spill the results of this soon, so you can mount an anti-ITAR campaign of you own. I concentrated on the media galleries, and began to get the transgender positions related to the media. We did get lots of press, and a 20-20 piece coming soon. They were all virtually uninformed about ITAR or the Netscape situation. I did my best on ITAR while I was there. This report is being filed at alt.coffee, a cybercoffeehouse on Avenue A and 10th Street, in New York City. Gotta go this is costing 16.00 an hour to file. Love Always, Carol Anne Member Internet Society - Certified BETSI Programmer - WWW Page Creation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carol Anne Braddock <--now running linux 1.0.9 for your pleasure carolann(a)censored.org __ __ ____ ___ ___ ____ carolab(a)primenet.com /__)/__) / / / / /_ /\ / /_ / carolb(a)spring.com / / \ / / / / /__ / \/ /___ / ------------------------------------------------------------------------- A great place to start My Cyber Doc...

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Re: Certificate proposal
by patrick＠Verity.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> > I may not have been clear: the certificate I was referring to was the one > from Egghead, the one which I will use to make sure that I have a valid > key for Egghead. Such a certificate would of course not have my credit > card number; it would probably have some information related to Egghead. > My rhetorical point was that information would most plausibly be a NAME > by which I would refer to Egghead. I am still trying to understand how > these proposals to take names out of the picture will apply to a > commonplace situation like this one. The certificate would identify the entity you're having commerce with. It doesn't have to have a name, the certificate would replace the need for a name. If you wanted a name, you could use the certificate to access it. The certificate would give you a public key that would be the central identifier. Associated with it might be many attributes of the key-entity. You might use the key to find out a name, and bank account number, or an ip-address to use to communicate with. Don't think of it as being a name, "Egghead Software", and this is the key associated with it. Think of the key as the central thing. Patrick _______________________________________________________________________ / These opinions are mine, and not Verity's (except by coincidence;). \ | (\ | | Patrick J. Horgan Verity Inc. \\ Have | | patrick(a)verity.com 1550 Plymouth Street \\ _ Sword | | Phone : (415)960-7600 Mountain View \\/ Will | | FAX : (415)960-7750 California 94303 _/\\ Travel | \___________________________________________________________\)__________/

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