From: Anonymous <nobody@replay.com>x@w.xyz
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 16:34:31 +0800
To: cypherpunks@Algebra.COM
Subject: Re: "Export" controls
Message-ID: <199812030820.JAA08564@replay.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



>You sure it's not Microshaft? More meanings.

Macroshit ? But I digress.

>A little experiment is often a good thing. I heard that the guys who
>made the DES cracker have had $$ requests for machines and/or chips.

Their architecture has real $$ value because it cracks 99% of "encrypted"
traffic.

>In case you missed it, my original reply was an attempt to open
>discussion on some type of cooperative effort.

Offering the real stuff for sale in US requires some investment. Whether it
is hardware (128-bit crypto engine on a PCI card ?) or software plug-in
for the aforementioned OS that makes all traffic go through IPsec with
128-bit non-DES block cipher, some amount of money must be put to a risk.

We are not talking here about free stuff. We are talking about products
that can be deployed by non-programmers, businesses etc., that will be
supported professionally (the perceived quality of professional support
vs. free stuff is immaterial here.)

>purposes. I wonder how many DES or IDEA engines could be put on a 500K
>gate array? It would fit about 35 instantiations of Twofish. That should
>be enough for a phone or a disk encryptor.

Hardware is overkill for the single voice line. PGPfone works fine there.

>Who want to get them done. <-- the key item

If there is a demand, it will be done. Let's run a small poll:

How much would you pay for transparent hardware/software solution that
encrypts all traffic between peer users (assuming all rational crypto
requirements are met, like available source code etc.) ?

>No sense pushing the button without critical mass.

The main problem with hard crypto is that it is so equalizing. Any pauper
can cheaply encrypt and make it hard for any government to break. This is
not the case with guns, where more resources almost linearly buy more power.

-

One of the posters mentioned that PGP is retailed in CompUSA. My mistake, I
did not check them (but I did check 3 other big chains).

-

On the wild side, suppose that all crypto restrictions are terminated. Some
would say that now "they" can break all available stuff. In any case the
value of crypto products in the eyes of buyers would fall. If it is legal
it is no good. Most of the research would lose the best people. Cypherpunks
would cease to exist. A very dangerous proposition.