NSA technology transfer (fwd)

I'm reposting this in response to a few recent posts inquiring about the 
NSA flyer.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 1994 00:21:30 -0500 (CDT)
From: Dan Harmon <harmon@tenet.edu>
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: NSA technology transfer


The following was posted on the list in the middle of May.  Being 
curious I called the number list at Ft. Meade. The person on who answered
was real shaken, for lack of a better term, that I called, it seems that 
this was the second inquiry that day.  He wanted to know various things, like
where did I get the information, was my name Bruce....  After a few minutes
he finally took my name and said, to call him in a week to 10 days if I 
did not here from him.  A few day later he called and said I needed to 
send a letter to expressing my interest in the technology.  About 10 ten days
after that I called to inquire if he received my letter and what was the 
next step.  It seems that there had been quite a few requests and that they were
trying to determine whether or not they were going to allow the 
technology to be transferred to individuals. The person said to call back  
in 4 or 5 days.  I called today and they said in essence that they 
were not going to let individuals have a shot at it.  They said that they 
were going to charge stiff license fees, that you would need to show a 
plan of how you were going to develop the product.....  You get the 
point.

It is obvious that they really don't want to transfer the technology.  And if
they do it will be to someone with deep pockets and who they like.

I wonder where the fees that they want to charge will go, to the 
general treasury or to their own budget? 

More later.

Dan Harmon

On Thu, 19 May 1994, Anonymous wrote:

> 
> 
> Newsgroups: sci.crypt,alt.security,alt.privacy
> From: schneier@chinet.chinet.com (Bruce Schneier)
> Subject: "Interesting Stuff" Checkers at the NSA
> Message-ID: <Cq2934.q0@chinet.chinet.com>
> Organization: Chinet - Public Access UNIX
> Date: Thu, 19 May 1994 17:40:15 GMT
> 
> This is from a flyer that NSA people have been distributing:
> 
>      NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY --  TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
> 
>      Information Sorting and Retrieval by Language or Topic
> 

rest elided

>It is obvious that they really don't want to transfer the technology.  And if
>they do it will be to someone with deep pockets and who they like.

Which rather gives one the impression that the technology transfer program
was forced from above, rather than being their own initiative.

Two suggestions:

1. See your local Congress-critter, and explain that the NSA's Technology
   Transfer program is being subverted.  After all, you guys in the US PAID 
   for the development of this algorithm, and it strikes me as being a bit 
   offensive that you should pay again to see it.

2. FOI it.

I'm rather glad that _I_ didn't ring the number up and ask for the details
("Hello, I am a foreign national.  Can I have this algorithm please?")
I must admit that I was sorely tempted after reading Bruce's post, though!

							Ian.

"Dan Harmon" wrote:
> 
> I'm reposting this in response to a few recent posts inquiring about the 
> NSA flyer.
[..]
> > This is from a flyer that NSA people have been distributing:
> > 
> >      NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY --  TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
> > 
> >      Information Sorting and Retrieval by Language or Topic
> > 

Related note: I was doing some research at the National Library of
Australia the other day and came across a publication (a 12 page
pamphlet or thereabouts) titled "Careers for Mathematicians and
Engineers at the National Security Agency". It's dated about 1976, and
describes what engineers, physicists, mathematicians and computer
scientists can engage in at NSA. 

The people in the pictures look like they had been rescued from a 70's
low budget CIA or Police TV flick. As for equipment, there were
pictures of oscilloscopes, `computers' with LEDs and switches on the
front and other stuff as well (and neat labels on the switches too).

Much was given to the potential types of work you can do, and
descriptions of the facilities at Ft. Meade (though, it didn't
explicitly name the place, but named campuses where you can study at
while working at NSA -- the target audience is high school students it
seems), most either in Maryland or Washington DC (if my US geography
serves me the best), Georgetown University was one of them. IMHO a
security risk in itself, knowing the exact places and courses that NSA
personel are located, almost as bad as our DSD advertising for job
placements in the Government Gazette ` .. for the collection and
interpretation of foreign signals intelligence ..'.

Some of the claims are down right funny. For instance, it is stated
that "To assure maximum opportunity for achievement, the Agency
provides a high degree of personal freedom to pursue individual
interests in an atmosphere conducive to scholary achievement". Sure!
You just have to suffer the indignation of not being able to publish it
to your respected peers (well, at least those outside the agency).

I made a photocopy of two pages, one with a guy standing in front of
the NSA emblem, smiling of course [would you by a cryptosystem from
this man ...]. The other, my favourite, is of a woman standing at a
blackboard with another guy, she's obviously teaching him about
something. Chalked on the board is a picture of a 7 bit LFSR with a
single tap, and then next to it (partly obscured by the man) are a few
equations. It lost a bit in the color -> b/w photocopy, but I plan to
scan in the two photocopied papers when next I see my friend and his
flatbed.

It was a good giggle!

Matthew.

-- 
Matthew Gream <M.Gream@uts.edu.au> -- Consent Technologies, (02) 821-2043
Disclaimer: I'm only a student at UTS, and don't represent them.

>Related note: I was doing some research at the National Library of
>Australia the other day and came across a publication (a 12 page
>pamphlet or thereabouts) titled "Careers for Mathematicians and
>Engineers at the National Security Agency". It's dated about 1976, and
>describes what engineers, physicists, mathematicians and computer
>scientists can engage in at NSA. 

There is a similar information brochure for the DSD, available at most
career advisory services in Australian Universities.

>The people in the pictures look like they had been rescued from a 70's
>low budget CIA or Police TV flick. As for equipment, there were
>pictures of oscilloscopes, `computers' with LEDs and switches on the
>front and other stuff as well (and neat labels on the switches too).

The DSD brochure is interestingly sanitized too.  The surprise was
their acknowledgement that they own a Cray, although the pictured model
is an X-MP (which I know has been subsequently decommissioned, cut in half,
and now graces the CRI foyer in Melbourne and, it is rumored, the DSD
foyer in their HQ at Russell, ACT).  DSD have a more recent model now.
Amusingly, it was not up until recently that they were admitting that they
HAD a Cray, and the current model is still confidential.

The picture also shows some fairly hackerish looking people pointing
logic probes into circuitry, and viewing the output of programs on what
look like 3270 terminals!  On closer inspection, these boards appear to
be domestic modems (Dataplex models, by the look of them).  There is one
fairly interesting looking board, which appears to be covered in ceramic-
packaged custom chips, but it looks circa 1975 or so and ancient.

I went through the document as closely, but could not get much out of it.
The sanitisation was quite competent, which is no surprise for that
organisation.

>Some of the claims are down right funny. For instance, it is stated
>that "To assure maximum opportunity for achievement, the Agency
>provides a high degree of personal freedom to pursue individual
>interests in an atmosphere conducive to scholary achievement". Sure!

*ROTFL!!!!*

Does this include left-wing political interests?!

							Ian.