Free demo disk of "distorted number" crypto

C'punks:

I got a call from a group in Maryland called "Marketing Technologies,
Inc."  They are starting to distribute free demo copies of a new crypto
technology created by "Blackstar, Inc."  The crypto product, called
"Supercrypt," is based upon "distorted number generation."  This does not
appear to be the product sold under the same name by Computer Elektronik
Infosys.  Naturally, I enquired as to where the algorithms had been
published in the technical literature, but the sales rep indicated that,
while copyrighted, Blackstar does not yet hold a patent so they are
concerned about releasing the details.  She described the product as using
a "proprietary" algorithm. 

If you'd like to get a demo copy of the software, call Marketing 
Technologies at 301.588.1971.  You'll probably be speaking with Linda 
Greenwald, who's got _some_ information available, but not anything that's 
technical.  They are also offering a technical write-up via fax-back at 
301.588.2162.

Note that I'm not endorsing this product, I'm just relaying information 
that may be of interest.  If anything, you can get a copy of a new toy to 
muck with in your spare(?) time.  No, they are not yet on the Internet.

I'll relay my experiences with the product after I get it.

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|      Liberty is truly dead              |Mark Aldrich                 | 
|    when the slaves are willing          |GRCI INFOSEC Engineering     | 
|     to forge their own chains.          |maldrich@grci.com            | 
|        STOP THE CDA NOW!                |MAldrich@dockmaster.ncsc.mil | 
|_______________________________________________________________________| 
|The author is PGP Empowered.  Public key at:  finger maldrich@grci.com |
|    The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the author     | 
|         and my employer gets no credit for them whatsoever.           | 
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"Mark O. Aldrich" writes:
> technology created by "Blackstar, Inc."  The crypto product, called
> "Supercrypt," is based upon "distorted number generation."

My shock-proof bull detector is starting to beep. Its sometimes wrong,
but its right more often...

.pm

On Fri, 10 May 1996, Perry E. Metzger wrote:

> 
> "Mark O. Aldrich" writes:
> > technology created by "Blackstar, Inc."  The crypto product, called
> > "Supercrypt," is based upon "distorted number generation."
> 
> My shock-proof bull detector is starting to beep. Its sometimes wrong,
> but its right more often...

Yeah, I know.  Mine went off when I got the voice mail.  But, I'll give 
'em the benefit of the doubt (for the time being).  Apparently, Blackstar 
is one guy and he's been working on this for a couple of years.  He could 
be misguided or he could be the next Whitfield Diffie, who knows.  Crypto 
breakthroughs have to come from _someone_, and they aren't always 
necessarily the dudes in the think tanks and universities.  We'll see 
what shows up in the mail.

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
|      Liberty is truly dead              |Mark Aldrich                 | 
|    when the slaves are willing          |GRCI INFOSEC Engineering     | 
|     to forge their own chains.          |maldrich@grci.com            | 
|        STOP THE CDA NOW!                |MAldrich@dockmaster.ncsc.mil | 
|_______________________________________________________________________| 
|The author is PGP Empowered.  Public key at:  finger maldrich@grci.com |
|    The opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the author     | 
|         and my employer gets no credit for them whatsoever.           | 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------