Security Consult. Needed

Two recent incidents in NYC show massive market failure in the 
information security industry.

One of the city's largest bookies was busted when the Feds intercepted the 
daily fax transmissions summarizing business results sent from his NY 
office to his Florida home.

A major cocaine dealer is facing prosecution based on written transaction 
records seized at his office.  His simple code was broken by a "known 
plaintext attack" when investigators were able to match his written 
notations with transaction information derived from wiretaps.

Can't anyone help these people?  Maybe 178th Street needs PGP and Secure 
Drive more than the PC Expo.

DCF

1001 Flaky Anti-Tax Arguments (#286):  I suffer from a recognized 
social-affective disorder.  I'm an anarchist.  Due to a mental disease or 
defect, I am congenitally incapable of conforming my behavior to the 
requirements of society.  Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the 
Internal Revenue Service is required to make reasonable accommodations to 
meet my needs.  The only way to satisfy the needs of one with my 
disability is to not impose any social obligations on him. 
--- WinQwk 2.0b#1165

On Mon, 2 May 1994, Duncan Frissell wrote:

> Two recent incidents in NYC show massive market failure in the 
> information security industry.

You mean, marketing PGP to criminals?

> One of the city's largest bookies was busted when the Feds intercepted the 
> daily fax transmissions summarizing business results sent from his NY 
> office to his Florida home.
> 
> A major cocaine dealer is facing prosecution based on written transaction 
> records seized at his office.  His simple code was broken by a "known 
> plaintext attack" when investigators were able to match his written 
> notations with transaction information derived from wiretaps.
> 
> Can't anyone help these people?  Maybe 178th Street needs PGP and Secure 
> Drive more than the PC Expo.

Be careful with this line of reasoning.  If you market PGP to a crook for 
the explicit purpose of keeping his illegal activities hidden from the 
cops, you violate at least two different laws.  It's like selling lock 
picks to a known burglar.  You could be prosecuted for conspiracy, aiding 
and abetting, and whatever they call interference with a police 
investigation nowadays.

C'punks,

On Mon, 2 May 1994, Ed Carp wrote:

> . . .
> You mean, marketing PGP to criminals?
> . . .
> Be careful with this line of reasoning.  If you market PGP to a crook for 
> the explicit purpose of keeping his illegal activities hidden from the 
> cops, you violate at least two different laws.  It's like selling lock 
> picks to a known burglar.  You could be prosecuted for conspiracy, aiding 
> and abetting, and whatever they call interference with a police 
> investigation nowadays.

Those of you who do not know Duncan Frissell personally, cannot imagine 
the elfin smile he surely displayed as he penned his original post.  
Humor, too, has its place in our struggle.  Try to keep up, Ed.


 S a n d y

On Mon, 2 May 1994, Ed Carp wrote:

> You mean, marketing PGP to criminals?

Criminals are people too.

> Be careful with this line of reasoning.  If you market PGP to a crook for 
> the explicit purpose of keeping his illegal activities hidden from the 
> cops, you violate at least two different laws.  It's like selling lock 
> picks to a known burglar.  You could be prosecuted for conspiracy, aiding 
> and abetting, and whatever they call interference with a police 
> investigation nowadays.

I know.  That is why it should be done using a secure marketing channel. 
One could probably get away with handing copies out on the street as well.
 Probably protected activity.  You wouldn't get many hits that way,
however.  ("Hits" defined as crypto in the hands of people who can figure
out how to use it.

Generally, neither unlicensed gambling nor the unlicensed retail
pharmacutical trade are activities disapproved of by the readers of this
list.  On the other hand, government enforcement actions directed at
individuals practicing those trades *are* disapproved of.

In any case, I have developed a protocol that would allow the sale of
contraband with almost no risk to the seller and reduced risk to the
buyer.  It's based on modern drop shipping techniques.  I intend to
publish same when/if tobacco is criminalized.  

DCF

"The culture of the nets is unavoidably libertarian because all other
political relationships involve the threat of deadly force and deadly
force is hard to transmit via fiberoptic cables." -- (Me)

"Do as I say or I'll shoot you right through this telephone." -- (Not me)

"The libertarian culture of the nets will transfer to the physical world
since people will be spending more and more time in the (functional) free
society of the nets and will not enjoy the restrictions they have to
suffer in the physical parts of their lives.  This will irritate them and
the nets will provide them with the tools to relieve the irritation..."
-- (Me)