1995-09-19 - Re: NSA and Netscape Crack

Header Data

From: liberty@gate.net (Jim Ray)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: e5a0042630fdcf9f8999001e38cd468aaeeaabd8d575e1ac409a0d638bdf920e
Message ID: <199509192342.TAA25539@tequesta.gate.net>
Reply To: N/A
UTC Datetime: 1995-09-19 23:46:58 UTC
Raw Date: Tue, 19 Sep 95 16:46:58 PDT

Raw message

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


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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


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Regards, Jim Ray

"Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is
a hallmark of an authoritative regime." --  Justice Potter Stewart 
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Key id. #  E9BD6D35  James Milton Ray   <liberty@gate.net>
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