From: ab411@detroit.freenet.org (David R. Conrad)
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 95 06:33:14 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Scientology tries to break PGP - and
Message-ID: <199509131332.JAA29256@detroit.freenet.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




Henry W. Farkas <hfarkas@ims.advantis.com> writes:
>On Tue, 12 Sep 1995, S. Keeling wrote:
>
>> 	I would just like to point out that, when a LEA comes to you
>> to get at the contents of your computer, (s)he is not going to
>> patiently wait while your system wipes the offending evidence off your
>> hard disk.  ...
>> they can work from the copy.  Besides, you do have backup tapes laying
>> around all over the place, don't you?
>
>They have to decrypt the file sometime if they want it's "contents".
>
>I use the -w option when encrypting.  After encryption, the "dummy" file
>(would be) embedded and the plaintext is wiped.  ...

And the idea is that on decrypting with the 'wrong' key, it outputs the
dummy file rather than the real plaintext, correct?

>          ...  Don't back up plaintext and what is the problem here?  
>Where will they get the "real" data from?  What does it matter where the 
>decryption takes place?  ...

Why would they use your copy of the program to decrypt the file?  They
could just use a version that lacked this 'feature'.  Of course, they
still couldn't get at the real plaintext unless you gave them the key,
but you are right back to the same old standoff where they say, "Give
us your key," and you (try to) say, "No."

--
David R. Conrad, conrad@detroit.freenet.org, http://www.grfn.org/~conrad
Hardware & Software Committee  --  Finger conrad@grfn.org for public key
Key fingerprint =  33 12 BC 77 48 81 99 A5  D8 9C 43 16 3C 37 0B 50
No, his mind is not for rent to any god or government.