Re: Web TV with 128b exported

>   From: SDN <sdn@divcom.slimy.com>
   >   William H. Geiger III wrote:
   >   > David Honig said:

   >   > >http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/981005/ca_microso_1.html
   >   > 
   >   > >MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:
   >   > >MSFT - news) WebTV Networks today announced it is the first U.S. company
   >   > >to obtain government approval to export nonkey recovery-based
   >   > >128-bit-strength encryption for general commercial use. WebTV Networks
   >   > >pioneered low-cost access to the Internet, e-mail, financial services and
   >   > >electronic shopping through a television set and a standard phone line. 
   >   > 
   >   > I have my doubts on this. I find it highly unlikely that the FEDs would
   >   > approve this without some form of GAK built in even if it is not in the
   >   > form of "key recovery".
   >
   >   It's probably a lot closer to the "private doorbell" scenario.  The only
   >   thing that a WebTV unit will communicate with is the WebTV service (or
   >   the Japanese variant thereof).
   >
   >   Since all traffic goes through a point that will likely cooperate with
   >   law enforcement (and has remote control of the boxes, too.), this doesn't
   >   represent much of a loosening in the export controls.

Hmmm...

#   http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/981005/ca_microso_1.html
#   
#   ...without fear of interception by unauthorized parties.

Said with a lawyer's precision.

#   http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/981005/ca_microso_1.html
#   
#   William Reinsch, U.S.  undersecretary for export administration:
#   ``The WebTV Network provides secure communications for its
#   customers and partners without posing undue risks to
#   national security and law enforcement.'' 

Either it is interceptable and decodable or it isn't.

If it isn't, then software browsers (Netscape/IE) should
be allowed to do it too.

Perhaps Declan could investigate and get a story out of it.

----

Can someone with control of a 128-bit HTTP server see if
it can identify 128-bit keys from WebTV terminals?
---guy

>#   http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/981005/ca_microso_1.html
>#   
>#   William Reinsch, U.S.  undersecretary for export administration:
>#   ``The WebTV Network provides secure communications for its
>#   customers and partners without posing undue risks to
>#   national security and law enforcement.'' 
>
>Either it is interceptable and decodable or it isn't.
>
>If it isn't, then software browsers (Netscape/IE) should
>be allowed to do it too.
>
>Perhaps Declan could investigate and get a story out of it.

He is off the grid until next week, at which point he starts working for
Wired News. We'l try to get something on this for Wednesday.

jtg


James Glave, News Editor, Wired News, http://www.wired.com  (415) 276-8430