From: liberty@gate.net (Jim Ray)
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 95 16:46:58 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: NSA and Netscape Crack
Message-ID: <199509192342.TAA25539@tequesta.gate.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Tim wrote:

>> If the "flaws" are being found by our group, as John notes, just what is
>> the NSA doing in the _second_ role it is supposed to have, it's "COMSEC,"
>> or communications security, role?

and then Thomas wrote:

>Gee Tim, NSA is "helping" us out by creating Clipper and new key escrow 
>mechanisms ;)
>
>"I'm from the NSA, I'm here to help your crypto..."

In the relatively short time I've been on this list, Cypherpunks
have bruted, and then found a weakness in, two kinds of Netscape
software.
[A fine public service, IMO. Congrats to all involved.]

I don't expect to know NSA's specific brute-force capability, but
does anyone know if the NSA has *ever* found a glaring weakness in
software and then told its author(s) or owner(s) about it? Do "we"
perform the "COMSEC" role Tim was speaking of better than the NSA?
JMR


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2
Comment: Freedom isn't Freeh

iQCVAwUBMF9VHW1lp8bpvW01AQFZkwQAiQWJMfdP+5v0CozYH59ZGWUhpaKxgX15
vdVCdSzHgaN6sj5aLVL4yRI0bkVe/6nJ8I4Nj9cYS5K5AgbcmiRDLvEulc0Y+mwr
B9rQBUcX7hM6lA+tEk2UpiGmR1xdh2U0Qpu93zT8T7MZtIc5dRReKeT21OXl4W96
NX4iONaceGY=
=2nmI
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Regards, Jim Ray

"Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is
a hallmark of an authoritative regime." --  Justice Potter Stewart 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PGP key Fingerprint  51 5D A2 C3 92 2C 56 BE  53 2D 9C A1 B3 50 C9 C8 
Key id. #  E9BD6D35  James Milton Ray   <liberty@gate.net>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Help Phil! email zldf@clark.net or see http://www.netresponse.com/zldf
_______________________________________________________________________