From: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
Subject: Re: Screw the people, crypto is for hard-core hackers & spooks 
	only
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation - Herndon, VA  USA
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Distribution: world
Reply-To: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
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jhart@agora.rain.com (Jim Hart) writes:
> You don't care that people are being lied to, fooled into believing the 
> chip gives "privacy" when it fact it allows wiretaps?

It does give privacy, just not absolute privacy.  The announcement was very 
up front about this, and about allowing wiretaps.  How is this "fooling" 
anyone?

> are you so smart that you know when you're talking 
> to somebody who has a wiretap chip on their phone instead of a privacy 
> chip with private keys?) 

Sure.  The two don't interoperate.  You couldn't talk to, say, a Cylink phone 
from a Clipper phone.  I would expect even multiprotocal phones to come with 
indicators saying which kind of link encryption is in use...

> We *do* need an alternative to NSA-bugged telephones, but 
> we're talking inexpensive *telephones* here, including hand-sized 
> cellulars, that need strong crypto, real privacy.

So start a company and build them.  This is still mostly a capitalist 
economy...

> What we need is a true *privacy chip*.  For example, a real-time 
> voice-encryption RSA, put it into a silicon compiler and spit out 
> ASIC.  Put this chip on the market as a de facto standard for 
> international business, diplomats, and private communications.

I agree.  Go for it.


Amanda Walker
InterCon Systems Corporation


