From: ferguson@icm1.icp.net (Paul Ferguson x2044)
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 93 21:44:19 PST
To: analyst@netcom.com (Benjamin McLemore)
Subject: Re: 900 Mhz phones
In-Reply-To: <199311280524.VAA25839@mail.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <9311280542.AA22805@icm1.icp.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text




> Any more info from anyone about which of these phones might be more or
> less secure? What kind of algorithms would we really like to see 
> implemented for wireless communications? Who's doing it? (I think there 
> is a story about Qualcomm wanting stronger security for their CDMA digital
> cellular standard but being forced to weaken or eliminate it due to 
> government(?) pressure--but that may be my paranoia again...)

No, its not your imagination, nor a case of over-active paranoia.

It's a fact that the FBI (among other three letter entities) have
previously asked cellular encryption developers to "scale back" their
implementations for ease of access to communications for law enforcement
purposes. In a word (or two), it bites.

The Digital Telephony proposal espoused mnay desired options which the
gummint couldn't previously weasel in earlier attempts to backdoor
communications.

- Paul