Jim Dixon writes: (quoting Hal Finney)
If this idea seems valid, it suggests that the real worth of a network of remailers is to try to assure that there are at least some honest ones in your path. It's not to add security in terms of message mixing; a single remailer seems to really provide all that you need.
Yes, in an ideal world. Each additional remailer introduces another chance of being compromised.
No, I'm afraid you have this backwards. A remailer cannot introduce a chance of increase the chance of being compromised. (I'm assuming that nested encryption is used, as all "ideal mixes" should use this, cf. Chaum. The bastardized version we play around with, in which encryption is skipped, is entirely unsecure.) Perhaps I am misunderstanding you (Jim) here, but in no conceivable way can I imagine that "Each additional remailer introduces another chance of being compromised." Perhaps each additional remailer can increase the chance of not forwarding the mail properly--as might be done in a denial of service attack--but this does not mean security is compromised. The remailer chain as strong as strongest link point that Hal and others have made.
However, if you trust the operator and if this trust is guaranteed to be continued forever, the ideal number of remailers is one.
Since the trust in remailers in not unity, and since the addition of remailers can only increase security and not decrease it, the ideal number of remailers is greater than one. Else, using the "trick" I described in my last post, simple establish that one is a remailer and then stop bothering with other remailers. (Not that I recommend this, for various reasons.) --Tim May -- .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^859433 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."