From: trollins@hns.com (Tom Rollins)
Date: Fri, 8 Sep 95 10:40:11 PDT
To: mark@unicorn.com (Rev. Mark Grant)
Subject: Re: Scientology tries to break PGP - and fails?
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9509081833.A4038-0100000@unicorn.com>
Message-ID: <9509081739.AA20098@dcn92.hns.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


> 
> On Fri, 8 Sep 1995, Tom Rollins wrote:
> 
> > I took a look at the FACTNet web page.  There is a file encrypted with
> > PGP using the "-c" option.  They are asking for people to help guess
> > the Pass Phrase.  Why would anyone bother if they had no clue that the
> > file contained anything 'interesting'.
> 
> I can only assume one of two things - either this is a joke, as the
> decrypted contents are nothing special as far as I can see (though
> 'interesting' in a sense), or that someone is very, very clever and
> managed to hide two different messages in there with different
> passphrases.
> 
> > If this is the file that the Co$ is trying to crack, then what the
> > is being asked for is a pass phrase that can be handed to the Co$ that
> > will pass the PGP valid key check and still not decrypt the data to
> > anything usefull.
> 
> If this is the file the Co$ want to crack, they're a) clearly 
> cryptographically inept, and b) the joke's clearly on them 8-).. Any 
> hacker worthy of the name ought to get the passphrase within three 
> attempts (I got it first time).
> 
> Note for paranoids: Of course, this message may just be a ruse to put 
> the Co$ off the scent ;-)..
> 
> 	Mark

Ooops, I see what you mean.  It is funny !
I simply did not take this at face value.

-tom