From: dlv@bwalk.dm.com (Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM)
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 06:14:51 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: The public sees no need for crypto at this time
In-Reply-To: <v03007800aeba463ea301@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <qRPsXD3w165w@bwalk.dm.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Timmy may decided to rant about crypto for a change. As always he exposes his
complete lack of knowledge.

"Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net> writes:

> * Most people don't think they're targets of wiretapping. They don't think
> the FBI is tapping their phones, and they've never even heard of the NSA,
> let alone GCHQ, NRO, SDECE, etc.
>
> * "What have I got to hide?"

So, demonstrate. Pick up conversations on cellular phones, transcribe
the embarassing ones, post them to Usenet via anonymous remailers.

Sniff the e-mail passing through your site and post it anonymously.

That'll make the news and make people aware that they need privacy.

> (I like to cite the evolution of metal safes. Mosler Safe Company says the
> driving force behind safe design, and deployment to merchants and banks,
> was the _insurance business_. Instead of preaching about the value of
> increased security, the insurers--who knew how to take the long
> view--offered rate discounts if stronger safes were installed. Voila,
> stronger safes. Until similar incentives exist for data--e.g., insurance
> for loss of patient records, confidential dossiers, etc.--I doubt most
> people will listen to the "preaching.")

The pressure from insurers might work in strange ways. E.g. in many
locales the law mandates 10% off car theft insurance premiums for cars
that have certain kinds of alarms. According to most authorities the
alarms are totally useless, but almost all cars in NYC have them, and
they go off in the middle of the night when someone walks by the car -
truly stupid.

Similarly the companies that insure doctors for against malpractice
suits might say one day that all patient records in a computer must be
adequately encrypted in the case PC gets stolen - or they might mandate
that nothing is encrypted w/o some sort of GAK escrow. And this won't
even be gubmint-mandated.

> * Look at how few people--myself included--routinely use crypto (digital
> signatures, etc.)

It's because you're an idiot.

> P.S. I'll be away at the Hackers Conference in Santa Rosa, CA for the next
> several days, and then travelling for the American holiday of Thanksgiving
> Day. So, I'll be mostly away from the list for a while.

That's good.

---

Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM
Brighton Beach Boardwalk BBS, Forest Hills, N.Y.: +1-718-261-2013, 14.4Kbps