From: Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 23:55:43 -0800 (PST)
To: sameer <sameer@c2.net>
Subject: Re: Cats Out of Bags
Message-ID: <199702010755.XAA09518@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Sure, it's available.  For most governments, though, 
even DES is enough to threaten their dominance,
though 40-bit is pretty much a joke.
The main impact of US 56-bit products would be that they make
it easier to get crypto built in to unavoidable Microsoft applications*,
	[*If the Borg had any sense....]
as opposed to the totally useless crypto in MS Word, etc.;
users can obviously also use free-world crypto software also,
but you usually have to explicitly go obtain and install that.

With Netscape, even wimpy 40-bit crypto is a threat, 
since almost no country will block you from using it, and
since 128-bit products are readily available overseas,
though you also have to do nonzero work to get them.
Since the two products are interoperable (at the wimpy level),
it's easy to upgrade, and the 40-bit version also works with 
SafePassage.

At 11:50 AM 1/31/97 -0800, sameer wrote:
>> > "Other governments were upset with the 56-bit export allowance. 
>> > They said it was going to undermine their national security."
>> 
>> On this point, the other governments are correct.
>> It really _is_ tougher to maintain a nation-state when your
>> former subjects can have private conversations with each other
>> and with other governments' former subjects......
>> And even 56 bits is a start.
>
>	Full strength crypto is already available worldwide. It makes
>not one iota of difference.


#			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
#     (If this is a mailing list, please Cc: me on replies.  Thanks.)