Dear Colleagues; This came off the business wire yesterday. I wonder if they truly understand how vulnerable they really are without strong crypto for their transactions?

-THE INTERNET SHOPPING Network, the nation's first electronic superstore -available on the worldwide Internet, was formally announced Tuesday at an -event at Techmart in conjunction with the launch of CommerceNet, the -first large-scale trial of electronic commerce on the Internet. -[Business Wire, 516 words, 450813#]

Except that the full version of this announcement--which has been posted several places, possibly even here in Cypherpunks--explicitly mentions the use of RSA via a business relationship with RSA Data Security Inc. Though many Cypherpunks have various problems with RSADSI and the RSA patents, a topic I'll not go into further, it is a hopeful sign for Internet commerce that a strong crypto system is being built in from the git go. Remember, the alternative is Crippler! (Actually, what with the announcement of Crippler being built in to some television-top boxes--cf. the Harry Hawk posts--I would guess these Internet Commerce folks will soon be "visited" by Crippler advocates and "suitably incentivized" to replace RSA with EES technology.) --Tim May -- .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^859433 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."