Netscape to patch shareware version
Weld Pond
weld at l0pht.com
Tue Sep 12 08:34:30 PDT 1995
This is from the Sept 11, 1995 Inter at ctive Week:
Netscape Communications Corp.'s freely distributed browser is getting
commercial-grade encryption, making it safe to use in the U.S. The
change comes two weeks after Inter at ctive Week disclosed that the free
version contained reletively weak encryption that had been cracked by a
European user.
[...]
Meanwhile, in an as yet unannouced move, the company said it would place
its commercial browser online for free downloading. THat move apparently
comes in direct response to an Inter at ctive Week article that highlighted
the fact that all shareware versions of the browser contain the so-called
40-bit key encryption software which was recently proven insecure. THe
commercial version, sold only in the U.S. contains an unbreakable 128-bit
encryption scheme.
Netscape said it received word last week that the State Department had
cleared that version for release on the Net, but only within the U.S.,
owing to current export laws banning the export of encryption schemes
stronger than 40 bits. THe company could provide no details by press
time on how it would ensure that the 128-bit version wouldn't leak beyond
U.S. borders.
[end excerpts]
I love how Inter at ctive Week pats themselves on the back for making people
aware of the problem. I guess the cypherpunk media hacking is working.
Doing things behind the scenes and making the press think they are the
internet users salvation looks like a good tactic.
The cypherpunks forced a situation where Net users now have better
encryption available to them. I'd say this is a big win.
Weld Pond - weld at l0pht.com - http://www.l0pht.com/~weld
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