From: finchm@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Michael >Finchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchmfinchm< Finch)
Subject: Re: Why the clipper algorithm is secret
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA
Lines: 17
NNTP-Posting-Host: csugrad.cs.vt.edu

johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) writes:
> >The cryptographic protocol, though, is another matter.  I see no valid
> >reasons for keeping it secret, and -- as I hope I've shown above -- there
> It just occurred to me why the algorithm is secret.  If it were
> published, one could then build physically identical clone versions

I recall seeing a post some time ago saying that if the details of
an encryption scheme couldn't be revealed, then the encryption
scheme is worthless.  I believe the statement was in response to
somebody saying that they had some new snazzy scheme, but the
algorithm was a secret.

Does this algorithm depend on the fact that the scheme is secret or
is it for the stated reasons above?


-Mike
