From: Brian D Williams <talon57@well.sf.ca.us>
Date: Thu, 5 May 94 08:07:40 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: re: one time pad plus
Message-ID: <199405051458.HAA19929@well.sf.ca.us>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Ben replies;

>Ok, I'm new to this crypto bit so I probably will have more
>mistakes here than correct answers.  Anyways I'm going to give a
>shot.

>1)If you have the secure channel(sneakernet) that you have to
>re-init each time you use th eone time pad, then this will be most
>likely a novelty, since Lousie could have slipped Thelma the
>plaintext when she slipped her the pad.

>2)If you're using a pad like this, if I'm not mistaken isn't this
>what Kahn calls a 'book cipher' where it would be simpler to crack
>than a true one time pad that is truly random.

>3)Thelma could have used stenographic technology to send the same
>information, she could have used faxes that when decoded could
>yield a message(kinda like the old punch cards)

>Anyways, this is just the view of a complete rank amateur.  Give
>me feedback y'all.

Thanks for your comments Ben. Yes this does suffer from all the
same problems of a classic one time pad. (pad exchange etc)
Obviously Thelma and Louise should have exchanged mutiple pads well
in advance,(and are co-conspirators) and the "pseudorandom pad" E
would be exchanged through an alternate path (intercompany
mail,sneakernet,messenger,etc).

 The part I find fun is that assuming random file B is truly
random, say from an RS232 "crypto-dongle" (if anyone builds them,
count me in!) then ciphertext file C is unbreakable, It dosen't
matter if E is random or not, C is still unbreakable, and using E
to decrypt will only  produce D.

 This was not intended as a cure all, just an interesting
application of cryptography that has interesting effects in the
world of corporate politics as well.

 One small step for cypherpunks.....

Brian Williams
Extropian
Cypherpatriot

"Cryptocosmology: Sufficently advanced comunication is
                  indistinguishable from noise." --Steve Witham

 "Have you ever had your phones tapped by the government? YOU WILL
  and the company that'll bring it to you....  AT&T" --James Speth

 
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