____________________________________________________________________ Before a larger group can see the virtue of an idea, a smaller group must first understand it. "Stranger Suns" George Zebrowski The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage@ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- -------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 22:23:04 -0800 From: Jon Stevens <jon@latchkey.com> To: coderpunks@toad.com Subject: weird <http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/02/27/fbi.spy/index.html>

The comment came from a letter that FBI officials said was encrypted on a computer diskette found in a package -- taped and wrapped in a black plastic trash bag -- that Hanssen dropped underneath a foot bridge in a park in Northern Virginia, immediately before his arrest.

The FBI decrypted the letter and described it in an affidavit filed in support of its search warrant.

#1. I wonder what was used to encrypt the letter and how they were able to decrypt it. Did he give them the password? Was the encryption weak (it would be funny if he had used DES)? Blah blah blah... #2. Our (I'm US) govt. can't even keep its own members from spying on it. Yet they have a problem with us exporting crypto tools so that mom and dad can buy their goods over the net? Or they are afraid that terrorists will get ahold of something they can download off the net already. Hmmm...gotta love the US govt. -jon