From: Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 1997 20:54:12 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Clipper article in  Cu Digest, #9.10, Wed 20 Feb 97
In-Reply-To: <199702210613.WAA03126@weber.ucsd.edu>
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19970221091636.00639720@popd.ix.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


CUD is available at  URL: http://www.soci.niu.edu/~cudigest/
Here are some excerpts:

>>From --  Fight Censorship <FIGHT-CENSORSHIP@vorlon.mit.edu>
>  Federal Computer Week
>  DOD sinks the Clipper
..
>  The Defense Department plans to remove the government key escrow
>  software from its Fortezza cards used on the Defense Message System, a
>  move that signals the death of the Clinton administration's
>  controversial Clipper initiative and one that should encourage
>  civilian use of the cryptographic cards.
>
>  A DOD spokeswoman confirmed the decision to remove the key escrow but
>  would not provide further details.
>
>  The DOD decision, which will be formalized in a policy expected out
>  shortly, is in response to the administration's decision last October
>  to support key recovery technology instead of the controversial
>  Clipper initiative. Each agency must decide how it will implement the
>  government's policy internally. A technical advisory committee will
>  develop standards for a federal key management infrastructure.
...
>  DOD has for years pressured civilian agencies to use government escrow
>  technology, but the agencies were wary of the law enforcement access.
>  Stephen Walker, president and chief executive officer of Trusted
>  Information Systems Inc. (TIS), said the policy will remove the last
>  remnants of the Clipper and serve as an official endorsement of key
>  recovery technology.
>
>  "This is the end of Clipper,'' Walker said. "This is a very positive
>  move because it puts the Defense Department in a posture of using
>  commercial products instead of Defense Department products. If the
>  Defense Department is moving away from key escrow, no one else is
>  going to feel obligated to have key escrow either."
....
>  Sources said DOD's move was targeted to increase the appeal of the
>  Fortezza card to users outside DOD.
>
>  Bruce McConnell, chief of information policy at the Office of
>  Management and Budget, said the move would make Fortezza cards more
>  attractive, but he cited different reasons. "It does encourage people
>  to use it because it moves toward the commercial approach that's being
>  taken," he said.


#			Thanks;  Bill
# Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts@ix.netcom.com
# You can get PGP outside the US at ftp.ox.ac.uk/pub/crypto/pgp
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