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spooks on cypherpunks

10 expanded posts ยท every known parent and child

NODE 74f70052spooks on cypherpunks
NetSurfer <jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>
Robert Mathews <mathews@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>

be aware
NODE f39ca9ecRe: spooks on cypherpunks
From: nobody@jarthur.cs.hmc.edu
   Date: Thu Apr 28 00:36:57 PDT 1994

   NetSurfer <jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>
   Robert Mathews <mathews@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>

   be aware

Sorry, but this is no help.  It's impossible to distinguish Agents
Provocateur from merely incompetent people.  You need to deal with the
latter, and so the former fall out in the wash.

If the cypherpunk movement is to be an effective non-violent force, it
must realize that secrecy is no help.  The best designed action will
work even if your enemy helps you plan it and carry it out.  Karn's CJR
is an example of this.

-russ <nelson@crynwr.com>      ftp.msen.com:pub/vendor/crynwr/crynwr.wav
Crynwr Software   | Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | ask4 PGP key
11 Grant St.      | +1 315 268 1925 (9201 FAX)    | Quakers do it in the light
Potsdam, NY 13676 | LPF member - ask me about the harm software patents do.
NODE 8f83d024Re: spooks on cypherpunks
Russell Nelson says:
> Sorry, but this is no help.  It's impossible to distinguish Agents
> Provocateur from merely incompetent people.  You need to deal with the
> latter, and so the former fall out in the wash.
> 
> If the cypherpunk movement is to be an effective non-violent force, it
> must realize that secrecy is no help.  The best designed action will
> work even if your enemy helps you plan it and carry it out.  Karn's CJR
> is an example of this.

Frankly, I agree.

The NSA and the rest are roughly in the position of the Eastern block
dictatorships a few years ago. There is basically nothing they can do
to maintain their position. They have no mechanism available. With the
arrival of good cryptographic techniques in the open literature they
were basically given a death sentence. Anyone with a computer and some
brains can now do lots of stuff they don't like, and there isn't
anything they can do about it no matter how much they would like.

They will search desperately for some miracle to save them, but there
isn't going to be one. Even were they to succeed in getting lots of
laws in place, there would be no way to enforce them where it counts
the most -- the criminals will not obey, and the technology is easy
for them to get.

We need no secrecy. We need only keep doing what we are doing: looking
for more and more ways to attack them in the legal system, pointing
out how silly they look in the press, and writing more code. There is
virtually nothing they can do no matter how much they like. 

The NSA will either adapt or die -- it seems to be trying to die right
now rather than adapt, but thats not our problem.

Frankly, I'm happier if they are watching. It tells us that we are
worth looking at.

Perry
NODE 6d9ddb29Re: spooks on cypherpunks
Cc: cypherpunks@toad.com
   Reply-To: perry@imsi.com
   X-Reposting-Policy: redistribute only with permission
   Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 13:32:10 -0400
   From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@snark.imsi.com>

   Russell Nelson says:
   > Sorry, but this is no help.  It's impossible to distinguish Agents
   > Provocateur from merely incompetent people.  You need to deal with the
   > latter, and so the former fall out in the wash.
   > 
   > If the cypherpunk movement is to be an effective non-violent force, it
   > must realize that secrecy is no help.  The best designed action will
   > work even if your enemy helps you plan it and carry it out.  Karn's CJR
   > is an example of this.

   Frankly, I agree.

<gasp!>  That's a [my] change from a few years ago, eh?

   The NSA will either adapt or die -- it seems to be trying to die right
   now rather than adapt, but thats not our problem.

Cautionary note here, Perry.  People who feel that have no choices
often don't care if the only choice they see is a bad one.  Hitler
[yeah, yeah, I know] convinced the German people that all their
choices were bad, but his was best.  They killed a few people -- it
was in all the papers at the time.

What can crypto do to counteract fascism?  Especially given that
crypto will be used as an excuse for said fascism.  You could argue
that it is already, but if you'll notice, the public reasoning for
Clipper never includes "Clipper exists to displace ubiquitious public
key crypto".

-russ <nelson@crynwr.com>      ftp.msen.com:pub/vendor/crynwr/crynwr.wav
Crynwr Software   | Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | ask4 PGP key
11 Grant St.      | +1 315 268 1925 (9201 FAX)    | Quakers do it in the light
Potsdam, NY 13676 | LPF member - ask me about the harm software patents do.
NODE 3ff5d2a1Re: spooks on cypherpunks
Russell Nelson says:
>    The NSA will either adapt or die -- it seems to be trying to die right
>    now rather than adapt, but thats not our problem.
> 
> Cautionary note here, Perry.  People who feel that have no choices
> often don't care if the only choice they see is a bad one.  Hitler
> [yeah, yeah, I know] convinced the German people that all their
> choices were bad, but his was best.  They killed a few people -- it
> was in all the papers at the time.

Naturally, they won't take things lying down. It is certainly in our
interest to make sure that they don't cause trouble, especially bad
trouble, during their demise. (Actually, I don't think they will stop
existing, just that they will have to accept that their work IS going
to be hard from now on and leave it at that.)

My point is merely that they have no real choice in the matter -- just
as a congressman falling out a window can shout at the law of gravity
all he wants, and threaten legal action, to no effect, so the NSA can
pretend that it can restrict the growth of private sector cryptography
but it is already too late. You can't stop people from learning
something they already know.

Perry
NODE 1fd91233spooks on cypherpunks
>the public reasoning for
>Clipper never includes "Clipper exists to displace ubiquitious public
>key crypto".

That's because it won't.  Public key techniques will still be used for
key management and authentication.

The problem with Clipper is that one will have no secrecy with respect
to any sufficiently powerful entity, using the government as a vector.

Eric
NODE 0abcc9ebRe: spooks on cypherpunks
> 
>    Cc: cypherpunks@toad.com
>    Reply-To: perry@imsi.com
>    X-Reposting-Policy: redistribute only with permission
>    Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 13:32:10 -0400
>    From: "Perry E. Metzger" <perry@snark.imsi.com>
> 
>    Russell Nelson says:
>    > Sorry, but this is no help.  It's impossible to distinguish Agents
>    > Provocateur from merely incompetent people.  You need to deal with the
>    > latter, and so the former fall out in the wash.
>    > 
>    > If the cypherpunk movement is to be an effective non-violent force, it
>    > must realize that secrecy is no help.  The best designed action will
>    > work even if your enemy helps you plan it and carry it out.  Karn's CJR
>    > is an example of this.
> 
>    Frankly, I agree.
> 
> <gasp!>  That's a [my] change from a few years ago, eh?
> 
>    The NSA will either adapt or die -- it seems to be trying to die right
>    now rather than adapt, but thats not our problem.
> 
> Cautionary note here, Perry.  People who feel that have no choices
> often don't care if the only choice they see is a bad one.  Hitler
> [yeah, yeah, I know] convinced the German people that all their
> choices were bad, but his was best.  They killed a few people -- it
> was in all the papers at the time.

Concur.


Confront them with annihilation,
and they will then survive;
plunge them into a deadly situation,
and they will then live.

When people fall into danger,
they are then able to strive for victory.

		-Sun Tzu

> 
> What can crypto do to counteract fascism?  Especially given that
> crypto will be used as an excuse for said fascism.  You could argue
> that it is already, but if you'll notice, the public reasoning for
> Clipper never includes "Clipper exists to displace ubiquitious public
> key crypto".


Crypto defies fascism when it is widespread and solid in the citizenry.
If enslavement is the ability to stifle speech, crypto is the liberator.


> -russ <nelson@crynwr.com>      ftp.msen.com:pub/vendor/crynwr/crynwr.wav
> Crynwr Software   | Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | ask4 PGP key
> 11 Grant St.      | +1 315 268 1925 (9201 FAX)    | Quakers do it in the light
> Potsdam, NY 13676 | LPF member - ask me about the harm software patents do.
> 

I think the dismissal of the NSA is premature.
I think the rumors of the NSA's death are greatly exaggerated.
I think the focus on the NSA in this group over looks more dangerous threats.

Crypto helps, but it's not the end all.
Why ask for trouble on the assumption that the intelligence agencies are 
fighting a losing battle?  Especially when the assumption is dubious.  
Digitel and Clipper could turn the tide very quickly.

Perhaps a more public NSA and FBI could be more dangerous to liberty than 
hidden ones?  It's certainly much easier to apply influence in public 
than in secret and behind the scenes.

I'm not sure how much the NSA needs to adapt here.  I'm not sure those 
who would resist centralism and regulation WANT the NSA to adapt.  
Considering the way in which AT&T fell into line I wonder how poorly the 
NSA, and the administration, are doing.

If anyone doubts that the administration and more importantly, the 
Congress, still finds use for intelligence agencies try to get a copy of 
today's M&L news hour.  (4/28/94)



Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits,
cannot be had by analogy,
cannot be found out by calculation.

It must be obtained from people,
people who know the conditions of the enemy.

		- Sun Tzu
NODE 310c6434Re: spooks on cypherpunks
On Thu, 28 Apr 1994, Russell Nelson wrote:

> Date: Thu, 28 Apr 94 10:20 EDT
> From: Russell Nelson <nelson@crynwr.com>
> To: cypherpunks@toad.com
> Subject: Re: spooks on cypherpunks
> 
>    From: nobody@jarthur.cs.hmc.edu
>    Date: Thu Apr 28 00:36:57 PDT 1994
> 
>    NetSurfer <jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>
>    Robert Mathews <mathews@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>
> 
>    be aware
> 
> Sorry, but this is no help.  It's impossible to distinguish Agents
> Provocateur from merely incompetent people.  You need to deal with the
> latter, and so the former fall out in the wash.
> 
> If the cypherpunk movement is to be an effective non-violent force, it
> must realize that secrecy is no help.  The best designed action will
> work even if your enemy helps you plan it and carry it out.  Karn's CJR
> is an example of this.
> 
> -russ <nelson@crynwr.com>      ftp.msen.com:pub/vendor/crynwr/crynwr.wav
> Crynwr Software   | Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | ask4 PGP key
> 11 Grant St.      | +1 315 268 1925 (9201 FAX)    | Quakers do it in the light
> Potsdam, NY 13676 | LPF member - ask me about the harm software patents do.

I contest and resent either incorrect nametag.  

-Jim

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................................
. ==  =    =    James D. Wilson.
.  "  "    "    P. O. Box 15432.............................
.  "  " /\ "    Honolulu, HI  96830-5432......Fr. Excelsior........
. \"  "/  \"    jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu.FRC/FAM/AASR/GWB/OTO.
...................................................................
NODE 7ec0c799Re: spooks on cypherpunks
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 18:04:48 -1000 (HST)
   From: NetSurfer <jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>

   On Thu, 28 Apr 1994, Russell Nelson wrote:

   > Sorry, but this is no help.  It's impossible to distinguish Agents
   > Provocateur from merely incompetent people.  You need to deal with the
   > latter, and so the former fall out in the wash.

   I contest and resent either incorrect nametag.  

I didn't mean *you*.  Cut back on the caffine.

-russ <nelson@crynwr.com>      ftp.msen.com:pub/vendor/crynwr/crynwr.wav
Crynwr Software   | Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | ask4 PGP key
11 Grant St.      | +1 315 268 1925 (9201 FAX)    | Quakers do it in the light
Potsdam, NY 13676 | LPF member - ask me about the harm software patents do.
NODE 6db67f5eRe: spooks on cypherpunks
I suggest that you not make accusations unless you are sure of your facts.
Neither I nor Mr. Mathews work for ANY government intelligence (isn't that
an oxymoron?) or other type agency.  

My only interest in ADP security is that which helps me protect systems I
manage from attack, both internal and external.

L8rs


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=JTj1
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
................................
. ==  =    =    James D. Wilson.
.  "  "    "    P. O. Box 15432.............................
.  "  " /\ "    Honolulu, HI  96830-5432......Fr. Excelsior........
. \"  "/  \"    jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu.FRC/FAM/AASR/GWB/OTO.
...................................................................


On Thu, 28 Apr -1 nobody@jarthur.cs.hmc.edu wrote:

> Date: Thu Apr 28 00:36:57 PDT 1994
> From:nobody@jarthur.cs.hmc.edu
> To: cypherpunks@toad.com
> Subject: spooks on cypherpunks
> 
> NetSurfer <jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>
> Robert Mathews <mathews@gold.chem.hawaii.edu>
> 
> be aware