From: pla@sktb.demon.co.uk ("Paul L. Allen")
Subject: Re: Secret algorithm [Re: Clipper Chip and crypto key-escrow]
Reply-To: pla@sktb.demon.co.uk
Organization: Chaos
Lines: 76
X-Newsreader: Archimedes ReadNews

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In article <PMETZGER.93Apr18141006@snark.shearson.com> pmetzger@snark.shearson.com (Perry E. Metzger) writes:

> In article <1qnupd$jpm@news.intercon.com> amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker) writes:
> 
>    From: amanda@intercon.com (Amanda Walker)
> 
>    jhesse@netcom.com (John Hesse) writes:
>    > Oh great. Wonderful news. Nobody can listen in--except the feds. 
> 
>    Hey, it's better than the status quo.
> 
>    I am far less worried about "the feds" tapping my phone than high school 
>    scanner surfers who get their kicks out of eavesdropping on cellular and 
>    cordless phone calls.
> 
> I'm a political dissident. I'm scared shitless of the feds listening
> in on my calls. My opinions are the sort that would get me
> "disappeared" in a slightly less free society -- and who knows what
> sort of society we will be in in five or ten years? I have friends who
> have had their phones tapped -- none of this is theoretical to me.
> 
> As for "its better than the status quo", well, first of all, you can
> get a cryptophone from companies like Cylink today -- and they work
> well. In addition, a number of groups are now working on building
> software to turn any PC into a privacy enhanced phone right now -- and
> they are all working in overdrive mode.
> 
>    And yes, I'd rather just see all crypto restrictions lifted, but this is at 
>    least an incrememental improvement for certain applications...
> 
> There ARE no crypto restrictions... yet. You can use anything you want
> RIGHT NOW. The point is to maintain that right.

The point you all seem to have missed was covered when the UK cellphone
scrambling system was discussed.  Incidentally, my MP has responded to
my questions on that issue, and it appears that the UK and other `approved'
countries will get the secure A5 encryption, and `dodgy' countries will
get A5X.  Existing mobile equipment will drop to clear mode when used with
A5X systems, but newer equipment will use A5/A5X/clear depending on the
capabilities of the base station.

The cops/feds do *not* need to be able to get hold of your private key to
listen in to cellular conversations.  Encryption is not end-to-end, but 
cellphone to base-station - it *has* to be this way so that cellular users
and fixed installations can talk to each other.  For cellular to cellular
calls, the transmission is decrypted at the base-station, passed to another
base-station and re-encrypted.  The cops/feds can listen to the unscrambled
call *provided* they get a warrant to tap into the cellular provider's
equipment.  The only reason for wanting a crackable system is so they can
listen without having to obtain a warrant.

But, maybe the Clipper system is secure, and they really do need a warrant
to get the key out of escrow before they can listen in using a scanner (see
above - they don't *have* to go down this route anyway).  I have my doubts,
but even if true once they have the key they will *never* again need a
warrant to tap into that particular phone whenever they want.  `Well, Judge,
it appears he wasn't a drug-dealer after all, so naturally we'll stop
listening in'...

You have every reason to be scared shitless.  Take a look at the records
of McCarthy, Hoover (J. Edgar, not the cleaner - though they both excelled at
sucking) and Nixon.

- --Paul

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