From: grendel@netaxs.com (Michael Brandt Handler) Posted-Date: Fri, 6 May 1994 07:05:38 -0400
Regarding the Clipper Key Escrow scheme:
[1] Who has the ability to submit a warrant and request the key
data from the two controlling government agencies? Its even worse than that. They have a catch phrase - "other legal authority", where some do not require a warrant.
[2] What is to stop someone, once they have my escrowed key data, from archiving it for later use?
While not having formally answered this, it has been indicated that the unit key is sent encrypted to a decoder box, which can disassemble the LEAF and extract the session key. I believe this decoder is based on a PC, which leaves one to wonder about even the possibility of timelocking the transaction. (the crypto algorithm is contained in a chip on a P.C. board.)