From: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 1996 22:06:20 -0700 (PDT)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Production of ALPHACIPHER Snake Oil Cancelled!
In-Reply-To: <199610180358.UAA07899@big.aa.net>
Message-ID: <v03007805ae8cd05a889d@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 9:11 PM -0700 10/17/96, ! Drive wrote:
>This may have already been posted, but I found it interesting...
>
>from: http://www.aa.net/cyber-survival-hq/
>
>     Development of the ALPHACIPHER product line has been voluntarily
>cancelled
>due to the possibility of
>                 non-compliance of users of ALPHACIPHER with the new key
>escrow
>law.


And just which _law_ might that be? Care to name an Act? Or even a Bill?

Come to think of it, just what the hell is "Alphacipher," and why should we
care?


>        ALPHACIPHER currently has no built-in key generation function, and the
>proposed release of an
> ALPHACIPHER key generator has been terminated. All purchasers of ALPHACIPHER
>are entitled to a complete
>                               refund, and this has already been done.

Were there any actual purchasers?

>         The New ADFGVX cipher is still offered for sale, as it is a breakable
>cipher, at least in theory.

Ah, yes, now I understand. Sounds like just a new marketing ploy for the
same old snake oil.

--Tim May



"The government announcement is disastrous," said Jim Bidzos,.."We warned IBM
that the National Security Agency would try to twist their technology."
[NYT, 1996-10-02]
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."