From: "Douglas B. Renner" <dougr@skypoint-gw.globelle.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 21:54:01 -0700 (PDT)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Stego via TCP/IP (was Re: crypto wish list)
In-Reply-To: <199610210018.RAA20993@dfw-ix5.ix.netcom.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9610230212.A1846-0100000@skypoint-gw.globelle.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




> >>>Where is highly sophisticated stego?
> >>What are our options?
> >>- Stego in english text.
> >>- Stego in audio and graphic file formats
> >>- Stego in Internet Phone protocols.
> >>- Stego in Internet video conference formats
> 

Stego in packet timing variations!

The ultimate NSA grep nemesis.   My gut tells me that this information is 
not collected by big bro.   Of course it would be very low bandwith and 
high noise...  But with higher-speed links, and the Internet of 
tomorrow, these will diminish vastly in significance.

Imagine a Linux kernel patch which precisely tracks packet timings 
by every originating host, and modulates the timing of return packets.  A 
full-duplex, error-corrected protocol could be built on top of this 
subtle exchange of information.


-Doug Renner
(Author of several industrial protocols for a previous employer)