From: Eric Cordian <emc@wire.insync.net>
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 1998 07:35:25 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: British Ministers Adopt Unbreakable Crypto
In-Reply-To: <199801192139.PAA16260@mixer.visi.com>
Message-ID: <199801192330.RAA09810@wire.insync.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Bruce Schneier writes:

> >``There is even a duress finger,'' Rushworth said. ``That is for if a
> >terrorist or gunman has a gun to the minister's head forcing him to
> >open the computer. It will appear to function normally but doesn't,
> >and sends a silent alarm to the Cabinet Office.''

> This is INSANE.  How could someone be so stupid as to announce
> such a feature in a newspaper.  I guess this means that if a
> terrorist sees a Cabinet minister with such a computer, he had
> better shoot to kill.

> The whole point of a feature like this is that its existence is secret.
> Someone is NOT paying attention.

I don't think the machine is going to do any silent alarming in the
grounded Faraday cage with the 10 severed fingers lying on a plate next to
it.

Anyone know what they actually use to sector encrypt the file system
on these things?  It would be somewhat amusing if it were snake oil
based.

--
Eric Michael Cordian 0+
O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"