At 9:11 PM -0700 10/17/96, ! Drive wrote:
This may have already been posted, but I found it interesting...
from: http://www.aa.net/cyber-survival-hq/
Development of the ALPHACIPHER product line has been voluntarily cancelled due to the possibility of non-compliance of users of ALPHACIPHER with the new key escrow law.
And just which _law_ might that be? Care to name an Act? Or even a Bill? Come to think of it, just what the hell is "Alphacipher," and why should we care?
ALPHACIPHER currently has no built-in key generation function, and the proposed release of an ALPHACIPHER key generator has been terminated. All purchasers of ALPHACIPHER are entitled to a complete refund, and this has already been done.
Were there any actual purchasers?
The New ADFGVX cipher is still offered for sale, as it is a breakable cipher, at least in theory.
Ah, yes, now I understand. Sounds like just a new marketing ploy for the same old snake oil. --Tim May "The government announcement is disastrous," said Jim Bidzos,.."We warned IBM that the National Security Agency would try to twist their technology." [NYT, 1996-10-02] We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."