I think one very serious objection to the SkipJack system is that the secrecy prevents us from coming up with Software implementations of the system. Naturally, they don't want that to happen because people start finding easy ways to screw up the encrypted block of key information needed by the government. But regardless of that, software implementations of DES have been extremely useful for everyone. There is probably 10 times as much encryption done using software DES than hardware. Maybe 1000 times as much. The fact is that software protection is much easier for the public to use. They don't need to buy an extra chip for their computer. They just run some software. It's cheaper. More populist. I think this is the most practical and non-inflamatory argument for public access to the algorithm. -Peter Wayner
Peter Wayner writes:
I think this is the most practical and non-inflamatory argument for public access to the algorithm.
Along the same lines, I am left scratching my head about the "baroque activities in the vault." Surely this is going to add substantially to the cost of these chips over a system that uses a known algorithm and non-escrowed keys. Given that such a system would be cheaper to produce and would offer stronger security, I think it is not especially inflamatory to suggest that the government is contemplating either an outright ban or the strong discouragement of alternative systems. -- Doug Barnes (gumby@wixer.bga.com)
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Douglas Barnes -
Peter Wayner