The following text is an e-mail I picked up from a firewall listserver. Return-Path: <jolson3@netbox.com> Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 10:03:11 -0700 X-Sender: bstout@osc.hidata.com To: Firewalls@GreatCircle.COM, Return requested <firewalls@GreatCircle.COM> From: Bill Stout <bill.stout@hidata.com> Subject: Re: Encryption Technology Sender: firewalls-owner@GreatCircle.COM Real-To: Bill Stout <bill.stout@hidata.com> At 09:05 PM 5/22/96 -0700, Michael Dillon wrote:
... RTFM <SNIP - Other literary content deleted>
On the Encryption note, and I swear not along the lines of the 'DOJ' and 'FBI Snooping' Big-Brother events, I heard another story recently. # begin story A person working on the MBONE project did an unannounced experiment across the internet using Triple-DES for MBONE, and the very next day, 'ATF' agents knocked on his door and warned him against exporting munitions. The experimentor was shaken by the fact that agents approached him so quickly after the experiment. # end story Extrapolations of fact: 1. Internet traffic is monitored. 2. The ability to snoop for encrypted traffic is present 3. The ability to identify encryption levels is present (How else can they differentiate DES-1 from DES-3?) 4. The ability to crack DES-1 in near real-time mode is present. (See above). 5. If above=true, then Feds dropping the Zimmerman PGP case probably also points to it also being crackable in a similar manner. 6. Using encryption only flags traffic for capture and decryption, using strong encryption makes you all that more interesting. Sorry, couldn't resist. I'll try not to start a threads about electro-plasma propulsion craft at Area 51, metallic-ceramic skin and pulse-jets on the Aurora spy plane, heat-imaging video cameras on satellites and planes that can watch you through your houses' roof, etc. :) Bill