1996-05-29 - Internet traffic is monitored.

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From: nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: 4e646ed53de634f3d6389320b5ce92722c4650487e43f9fd4b99813eebb09578
Message ID: <199605290937.LAA16955@basement.replay.com>
Reply To: N/A
UTC Datetime: 1996-05-29 13:41:04 UTC
Raw Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 21:41:04 +0800

Raw message

From: nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)
Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 21:41:04 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Internet traffic is monitored.
Message-ID: <199605290937.LAA16955@basement.replay.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 10:03:11 -0700
X-Sender: bstout@osc.hidata.com
To: Firewalls@GreatCircle.COM, Return requested <firewalls@GreatCircle.COM>
From: Bill Stout <bill.stout@hidata.com>
Subject: Re: Encryption Technology
Sender: firewalls-owner@GreatCircle.COM

At 09:05 PM 5/22/96 -0700, Michael Dillon wrote:
>...
>RTFM
><SNIP - Other literary content deleted>

On the Encryption note, and I swear not along the lines of the 'DOJ' 
and 'FBI Snooping' Big-Brother events, I heard another story recently.

# begin story

A person working on the MBONE project did an unannounced experiment
across the internet using Triple-DES for MBONE, and the very next day, 
'ATF' agents knocked on his door and warned him against exporting 
munitions.  The experimentor was shaken by the fact that agents 
approached him so quickly after the experiment.

# end story

Extrapolations of fact:
   1.   Internet traffic is monitored.
   2.   The ability to snoop for encrypted traffic is present
   3.   The ability to identify encryption levels is present
        (How else can they differentiate DES-1 from DES-3?)
   4.   The ability to crack DES-1 in near real-time mode is present.
        (See above).
   5.   If above=true, then Feds dropping the Zimmerman PGP case probably
        also points to it also being crackable in a similar manner.
   6.   Using encryption only flags traffic for capture and decryption, 
        using strong encryption makes you all that more interesting.

Sorry, couldn't resist.  I'll try not to start a threads about 
electro-plasma propulsion craft at Area 51, metallic-ceramic skin 
and pulse-jets on the Aurora spy plane, heat-imaging video cameras 
on satellites and planes that can watch you through your houses' roof, 
etc.  :)

Bill









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