Here's something that may make attempts such as Clipper a bit harder to mandate, if this (non-escrowed, I believe) system becomes common. It should also provide some pressure for relaxation of ITAR. -Allen (c) 1995 Copyright Nando.net (c) 1995 Reuter Information Service [...] A security system developed at the University of California at San Francisco prevents unauthorized access to x-rays and other medical images transmitted via computer networks. A scientist described the system in a report prepared for a radiologists' convention here. [...] Stephen Wong, assistant professor of radiology and bioengineering, and colleagues developed the system for the picture archiving and communications system used at the university to store and transmit digitized medical images. He said the authenticity of the images as well as patient confidentiality must be protected. "We have to make sure that the digital information and images are not altered accidentally or surreptitiously," Wong said. "In addition, x-rays and other imaging studies are part of the patient's medical record and must be protected from unauthorized access." The system uses mathematical formulas or codes to scramble the images through encryption. It involves a "two-key" system -- one code enables public access but a second, private code is required to unscramble the information. The private code, known only to the individual to whom the information is transmitted, is 1,024 computer bits long, Wong said. In emergencies where fast transmission is needed, the unscrambled image is transmitted with a digital "fingerprint," a smaller code that assures the intended viewer that no one has altered the original image. Wong prepared his report for the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.