At 05:21 PM 6/17/96 -0400, you wrote:
We would like someone to be able or should I say try and crack our encryption. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
Our Web site is http://www.sfmc.com Phone number is 1-800-252-9938.
Randy Estridge SafE Mail Corporation
Well, when I read this letter, I was sure it was a troll. I was amazed to find that not only are these people serious, but they're convicing other people to buy into this nonsense! Almost every page on their web site contains factual errors that range from misleading to incorrect to slander. Here's a gem from the comparison page: http://www.sfmc.com/comp.html Security of different programs | Public | Compres.| Error | ITERNET Program | Key | | Correct.| Compatib. --------------+---------+---------+---------+---------- SafE Mail(TM) | YES | YES | YES | YES PGP | YES | NO | NO | NO PEM | YES | NO | NO | Yes --------------+---------+---------+---------+---------- [ So, how many of you were surprised to learn that PGP is not Internet compatible, and doesn't do compression? I'm sure Mr. Zimmerman will be quite amazed! ] --
From their FAQ: http://www.sfmc.com/faqu.html
* SafE Mail utilizes a short 22 character Public Key which I realize is "great" for key exchange. Does this short Public Key the encription code vulnerable to attack? No! The Public Key is generated by a "One Way Hash Function" when the owner of the software names a private key or passwords. This makes the encryption code secure and not vulnerable to attack by unautorized individuals. * Is SafE Mail software a solution to concerns about under age or general viewing of obscene material on the INTERNET? Yes! Remember SafE Mail will encrypt virtually any type of computer generated files including pictures, video and audio. * How can SafE Mail be used for exchanging sensitive or obscene materials over the INTERNET? Image provider and Subscriber should both utilize SafE Mail software. Upon exchange of Public Keys by both parties, Image provider can transmit encrypted files that can be decrypted by Subscriber with his public and private keys. Files encrypted with SafE Mail will be a strong barrier to any unauthorized viewing. [So, remember, the next time you wish to break the law by transmitting obscene images (which have been shown in court already to be illegal), use SafE Mail.] -- More from the comparisons page: http://www.sfmc.com/comp.html SafE Mail and RSA® algorithms comparison table | SafE Mail(TM) | RSA (RC4+MD5) -------------------+-----------------------------+-------------------- Programm | SafE Mail(TM) for Win 1.12 | Entrust 1.1r1 | SafE Mail(TM) for DOS 1.12 | | | Performance Speed | ~4400kB/Sec (In addition to | ~770kB/Sec (Only (Results based on | Encryption also performs | does Encryption) 33mHz SunSparcs | Compression, Error | Station) | Correction, Internet | | Compatibility and Electronic| | Signature at the same time).| | | Compression | Yes, up to 85% | No, increases | | file size by up | | to 40% | | Internet | Yes | No Compatibility | | | | Electronic | Yes | Yes Signature | | | | Public Key | Yes | Yes Distribution | | | | Length of Public | 22 characters only | Over 1200 characters Key | | can distribute on the | | diskettes only | | Integrity Checking| Yes | Yes | | Error Correction | 9 different levels, selected| None Available | by user. | | | Best Attack | No known way | Statistical | | Analysis | | [ Where to begin? I wonder if it's their DOS or Windows version that runs on the 33MHz SparcStation? Oh, and I love the "no known way" to attack them. ] -- What are the trade magazines saying about SafE Mail? Well, this is from that traditional bastion of reporting integrity, the Carolina Computer News, June 1995: http://www.sfmc.com/scop02.html " ...SafE Mail is designed to be a powerfull business and personal communications tool, ideal for public or private network communications. SafE Mail provides the least expensive, fastest, INTERNET compatible, secure file transmission on the ma rket today. SafE Mail has a unique encryption algorithm. It's encryption key is longer than any other similar product currently available on the market today. The user can define the distortion/error correction level which determines the length of the encryption key. The longer the key length, the more difficult it is to break. SafE Mail employs the Public Key Distribution algorithm. Unlike currently available encryption algorithms (DES,RSA), SafE Mail generates a unique 22 character public key for each user. Des has no public key generator and the RSA Public Key becomes larger (up to several kilobytes) as the number of recipients increase. SafE Mail error correction is capable of restoring a binary file having 15% distortion errors or an ASCII file with 30% errors. SafE Mail excellent compression capability allows an ASCII file to be deflated by almost 85%!... " [ If you read the quotes from the various magazines, you probably won't be surprised at the list of quality magazine names that have been taken in by these hucksters: Byte, PC Week, PC Today, and others. ] -- However, it gets even better than this. The capstone (if you'll pardon the pun) of these folks is their contest, described at http://www.sfmc.com/cont.html If you can break their security, you'll win FIVE FREE COPIES of SafE Mail! Gosh, how can we pass up such an opportunity? -j, ROTFLOL :-) -- J. Deters
From Senator C. Burns' Pro-CODE bill, which I support and you can find at: http://www.senate.gov/member/mt/burns/general/billtext.htm " (2) Miniaturization, disturbed computing, and reduced transmission costs make communication via electronic networks a reality." +---------------------------------------------------------+ | NET: jad@dsddhc.com (work) jad@pclink.com (home) | | PSTN: 1 612 375 3116 (work) 1 612 894 8507 (home) | | ICBM: 44^58'33"N by 93^16'42"W Elev. ~=290m (work) | | PGP Key ID: 768 / 15FFA875 | +---------------------------------------------------------+