From: patrick@Verity.COM (Patrick Horgan)
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 95 11:47:24 PDT
To: cme@TIS.COM
Subject: Re: CYPHERPUNK considered harmful.
Message-ID: <9509141843.AA21226@cantina.verity.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Just a couple of comments, one on a question and one on an answer.

> 
> >Q: Aren't LEAs worried that strong encryption will make it more
> >difficult for them to catch crooks?

If this is for non-cypherpunks, you should say what an LEA is.  They wouldn't
understand your question.  (Shoot, some cypherpunks are probably going, "Huh?")

> 
> >Q: What's this 'key escrow' thing? 
> >
> >A: Some government agencies have been trying to figure out methods which
> >simultaneously permit US citizens to use strong cryptography against
> >criminal eavesdroppers, while retaining the ease with which LEAs can
> >currently tap your calls. The schemes generally involve something
> >mistitled 'key escrow', in which copies of cryptographic keys would be
> >stored at sites accessible by LEAs.
> 
> 'key escrow' is a code word for government access to the unencrypted
> message.  It is a persistent theme, dating back to the NSA's CCEP in about


You probably need to say what the NSA is, and certainly have to identify CCEP.

Patrick
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