From: gnu (John Gilmore)
Date: Tue, 8 Jun 93 18:37:36 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com, gnu
Subject: Re: AT&T Encrypting Phone Ad in WS Journal
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.05z.9306072359.A14078-9100000@carson.u.washington.edu>
Message-ID: <9306090137.AA05168@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> The Wall Street Journal, 7 June 93, page B7, has an AT&T ad for an
> encrypting communications box called "Surity Telephone Device".
> It plugs between a regular phone and the phone jack.
> Anybody know what's inside?  Is this new?  

The box pictured is the Clipper-based successor to the AT&T 3600
secure phone.  They have a "bump in the cord" architecture; in the
case of the 3600, it plugged between the handset and the phone.  This
is a pain in the ass (there are six or seven "handset modules" that
plug into the unit, and you have to use one to match your phone -- or
get several and pray that one will match each phone you ever want
to use.)

We played with one of the 3600's at a Bay Area cypherpunks meeting
a few months ago.

I'd refer to the "Surity" as the "surly telephone device".

	John