From: werewolf@io.org (Mark Terka)
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 94 23:06:39 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Breaking into girlfriend's files
In-Reply-To: <199412230045.TAA21904@thor.cs.umass.edu>
Message-ID: <Eec-kOwsckDT075yn@io.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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In article <9412231452.ZM19768@wiley.sydney.sgi.com>, you wrote:
>On Dec 22,  9:46pm, Mark Terka wrote:
>> GROAN! What the hell is this list about anyway?????? I think we are losing
>> perspective about encryption, privacy etc etc...
>
>> Putting it quite simply, the individual was asking about how to make an
>attack
>> on an opponent. Whether that opponent is a girlfriend, spouse, competitor or
>> terrorist group, who cares? Lets save the sermonizing for Ann Landers...what
>> state the relationship is irrelevant.
>
>What a load of amoral rubbish.

Oh goody! Now we are getting a judgement call with respect to how cryptography
in general aids "the greater good".

Do you suppose the NSA makes the same call when they do routine traffic
analysis or try to bust a suspiciously (to them) encrypted message??????
>
>Cypherpunks is a group whose members believe in the application of
>technology to PROTECT privacy, not to violate someone else's.

Ummmm...excuse me...."the cypherpunks are an informal group of people
interested in teaching and learning about cryptography. They also
experiment with cryptography and try to put it into use"

from Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schnier....pg 445.

That to me indicates that the members of this list should be at least
remotely interested in the subject of attacks as well as defense as you
can't defend aginst something unless the method of attack has been discussed.

>Once you assume that capability implies right, you're on very
>shakey moral ground, but that is exactly what you are saying in this
>post.  I find that position repellent, and I would be very surprised
>and not a little disappointed if you find many others here who felt
>the same way.

GROAN! (again) And how, pray tell, do we go about protecting ourselves
against others if we are not prepared to discuss what sort of attacks
may be mounted against us?????

Like I alluded to before, I bet if it was a case of someone trying to
descramble something like skipjack to try and discover something about
National Security (ours OR theirs) I bet the members of this list
would have fallen all over themselves trying to help the original poster.

I don't recall seeing too much in the waqy of condemnation of the guy that
posted RC4 to this list ..... but as soon as we see something that touches
close to home like male/female relationships, the shit hits the fan!!!!!

>
>> I bet the poster would have gotten a more sympathetic response if he said he
>> had gotton his hands on a diplomatic cable....
>
>Possibly.  IMO, what the original requester was asking for was so
>repulsive and immature that the responses so far have been mild.

And in my opinion what the original poster was no different than the British
attack on "Enigma" or the American attack on "Purple".

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