From: privsoft@ix.netcom.com (Steve )
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 95 07:25:39 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Re: Reformated: How secure....
Message-ID: <199510241425.HAA20039@ix3.ix.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


    Firstly, I would like to thank Cypherpunks members for helping me 
evaluate and critique my document on PrivaSoft's security. I would like 
to address several of the issues raised on list list. 

    1. Alot of question would be answered if you had a copy of 
PrivaSoft to look at or at least a scrambled page to examine. Both of 
these are available at our WEB site 
(http://www.privasoft.com/privasoft) this is not an advertising plug, 
it really helps to see the thing in action to better understand its 
capabilities. 
    2. Re: the 9 digit key.
        Partially why you misunderstand the strength of the 9 digit key 
in PrivaSoft is b/c Graphical Encryption is very different form data 
encryption. Graphic encryption takes an image of your document and 
scrambles the tiles accross the page in a pseudo-random order based 
both on the encryption algorithm and the key used, Each key produces a 
completely different scramble. Further, descrambling entails moving  
tiles and recognition of readable text. An edge detection machine would 
not be helpful with PrivaSoft, as far as I know, OCR or human 
interface, or the PrivaSoft descrambler( with the correct key) are the 
only methods that can be employed. And all three of these take 
considerable time. Time is a key factor here (no pun intended). the 
strength of an encryption relies heavily on the time it takes to 
bruteforce check different keys. as such, even the addition of 10 
miliseconds to the process is a significant increase in security when 
taken on the large scale of how many keys need to be checked. 

    3. The key extension is useful when documents are scrambled using 
the same default key. This feature adds 2 digits to your key, thus, 
even the same exact document scrambled with the same key but a 
different key extension would produce a radically diofferent scramble. 

    4. With regard to the increased font size, this is not necessary 
but is helpful in that the tiles themselves would contain less 
recognisable features of letters. 

    5. As a fax security product, their is nothing comparable to 
PrivaSoft in ease of use, strength, verstility. I'm sure you have all 
recieved faxes that have come in skewed, with heavy line noise, a black 
line running accros the page, or any other combanaiton of fax problems. 
These do not effect PrivaSoft's capability to descramble the fax, 
PrivaSoft has several patented features that produce readable text even 
after moderate damage to the page. Also, if you haven't figured this 
out yet, PrivaSoft is the only encryption software that provides 
Hardcopy encryption and decryption, ie. you can print out a hardcopy of 
the scrambled image, and fax it, store it, even snail mail it and then 
on the recieving end, fax or scan it back into the pc and decrypt. 

    6. re: custimization:
        This refers to our capability, for corperate clients and the 
like, to produce batch operation or need specific features. Also we can 
increase the digits of the key if the client requires such, as in gov't 
agencies etc, however this is not necesary for day to day use as 
PrivaSoft is strong enough for most transmissions over the Net and via 
fax regardless of the prevalent comments by many members of this group. 
I do not take offence at the many slurs on our product. I fully believe 
that if any of those who believe that PrivaSoft is a fly-by-night or 
bogus product have not looked at or tried the software and therfore 
speak from less than a knowledgable position. Please do not take this 
the wrong way, I do not mean to insult anyones inteligence or ability, 
I just mean to say that many here are quick to judge, and they have a 
right to be suspicious of everything and everyone, that is the nature 
of security, but I do challenge the naysayers to truly check out the 
software before completely condeming its use and capabilities. I have 
personnally demonstrated are software to several key individuals in the 
gov't, military, and corperate arenas both executive and technical 
persons. All were impressed have taken the software back for further 
testing. I have recieved positive responces from them and many have 
recomended / are presently using PrivaSoft.

    Once again, thank you for your help in editing and restructurin g 
the How secure document and i will post an updated version when it is 
ready. Also, if anyone would like a scrambled page E-mailed to them to 
look at / try to crack please E-mail me as such, I do not wish to post 
one only b/c many of you might not want to recieve it. If you have 
further questions or comments, I do appreciate and encourage them, 
please feel free to E-mail me at privsoft@ix.netcom.com or post them 
here.

Steve O.

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