From: cme@ellisun.sw.stratus.com (Carl Ellison)
Date: Sun, 1 Aug 93 15:17:17 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Sterilized medflies of crypto
Message-ID: <9308012216.AA09933@ellisun.sw.stratus.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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It hit me yesterday that if the FBI succeeds in getting the Clipper chip as
the de facto hardware standard for encryption, it will be like the effort
to fight the Medfly infestation by releasing sterilized flies: a world full
of worthless encryption chips -- ones we'd never be able to use ourselves
or export, but with chips occupying the sites labeled "encryption chips go
here".


Meanwhile, notice how the FBI & Co. chose to milk the accusaiton that if
the algorithm is secret, it might have a back door?  ...ignoring the
obvious security weakness in the registration itself?  I have heard nothing
about the registration plan -- probably never will.  It's too easy for them
to fight over security of algorithms.

 - Carl