From: Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 15:57:27 +0800
To: Alan Horowitz <alanh@infi.net>
Subject: Re: Stealth Buildings Was Re: "X-Ray Gun" for imperceptible searches [NOISE]
Message-ID: <199608160545.WAA01166@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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At 09:01 PM 8/15/96 -0400, you wrote:
>I repeat.  Generations of sweating engineers have discovered and confirmed 
>that there is not an easy, "Silver Bullet" cure of the canonical problem 
>of shielding electromagnetic energy from reaching someone who knows how 
>to interpret it.

I also repeat - the problem isn't TEMPEST, which I agree is a tough
problem.  The problem is preventing radar imaging from detecting the
shape of metal stuff you're carrying, and shielding with a sufficiently
thick layer of metal should do that.  I don't know, for the technology
they're using, if this means tinfoil-thickness or armor-plate thickness,
but random-thickness metal should help.  Of course, walking through
the airport wearing plate armor will probably disturb the security
guards more than mere chain-mail :-)

>Bill, you are welcome to look at a layer of tin foil and give a sigh of 
>relief that you've shielded your gun or your crypto diskette or your 
>private body parts feom someone who knows what they're doing.  Go ahead, 
>chant a mantra too, if it makes you feel better.

I've always enjoyed the one that goes
        You have the right to remain silent.
        Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
        You have the right to an attorney.
        If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you.
        License and registration, please.
        Go to jail.  Go directly to jail.
        It's not a threat, it's just a choice you can make.

#			Thanks;  Bill
# Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts@ix.netcom.com
# <A HREF="http://idiom.com/~wcs"> 	Defuse Authority!