From: Bruce Murphy <packrat@ratbox.rattus.uwa.edu.au>
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 20:44:02 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: FV's Borenstein discovers keystroke capture programs! (pictures at 11!)
In-Reply-To: <9601292041.AA14422@zip_master2.sbi.com>
Message-ID: <199601301216.UAA00325@ratbox.rattus.uwa.edu.au>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


In message <9601292041.AA14422@zip_master2.sbi.com>, 
  David Macfarlane wrote:
> Is this the most transparent media attention grab or what?  FV's
> "Chief Scientist" writes a killer application to destroy
> Internet commerce and it is really only a keystroke capture
> program with a bit of credit card number recognition code tacked
> on.
> 
> I don't think this has any "implications for Internet commerce".
> If you run any number of virus protection programs on your
> computer, and you get your software from reliable sources,
> you never need worry about clandestine number snarfing.

I especially liked the bit about being available under all sorts of
Microsoft OSs but not yet implemented under Unix. (which doesn't in
general *have* APIs or screen savers or all the other guff.

If secure input is needed then it shouldn't be too much of a
problem. I doubt the program would recognize either of INTERCAL input
or output (as a random example)

> I readily admit that there is a larger issue about viruses and
> being able to trust your software, but the presentation from FV
> of this announcement as a "fatal flaw" in internet commerce is
> remarkably disingenuous.  They are really saying, "We have the
> only safe approach" quietly between the lines.

But it's hardly *new* as you say. All in all, a quite convincing
little article. Could almost be worth modifying and posting to the
Germans about something or other.

> And before pm. says it, this has very little to do with
> cryptography.

Or trees.

--
Packrat (BSc/BE;COSO;Wombat Admin)
Nihil illegitemi carborvndvm.