No SKE in Daytona and other goodies

[Timothy C. May]

" that one guy" wrote:

>1) I've got Daytona running on a machine right next to me. It doesn't
>feature any type of key escrow. Come to think of it, it doesn't
>support data encryption.
>
>The version I have is build 683, which is supposed to be the
>next-to-last, so it's unlikely MS will suddenly start adding new
>stuff, especially since they're already late.

Oh please! Just how many times am I supposed to repeat my point that I make
no claims that any imminent release of Chicago or Daytona or System 7.2 is
likely to have SKE included? I've pointed out that the TIS algorithm is
only now being coded, but that the *general field* of key escrow seems to
involve some behind-the-scenes manouverings which should give us all pause.

Saying that "version 683" doesn't have SKE is beside the point.

The real issue is just how all the work on SKE described in the Denning
conference coming up in September (the full agenda is posted in the crypto
newsgroups) is to be implemented if *not* by the OS and system software
vendors.

The Microsoft guy who wrote the long letter to me on the various issues
involved, the tradeoffs, the export issue (apparently SKE will allow some
products to be exported that would otherwise be illegal to export), etc.,
is clearly working on this key escrow business. Only time will tell if
Microsoft has ever met with NIST/NSA on software key escrow...if they have,
and pressures were put on MS to comply with the new scheme, then we'll all
have reason to worry.

If Microsoft has never met with NIST/NSA or Denning or TIS on this matter,
and was only pursuing SKE research on its own initiative, without any
incentives or threats from the government, then I will withdraw my
speculations and cheer Microsoft on.

(The same thing applies to Novell, Apple, etc. I'm not picking on
Microsoft...I've just heard more substantive comments from them than from
other companies.)

I once again urge Microsoft to make this situation clearer. And I don't
mean with a predictable, pro forma, "We have no intentions of including
software key escrow at this time." Such corporatespeak comments are
useless.

We need to see a public debate on software key escrow, regardless of
Microsoft's involvement one way or another. And we shouldn't wait until the
press conference is held to announce the program!


--Tim May

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