more on Encryption Scare

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Baker, Stewart <SBaker () steptoe com>
To: 'dave () farber net' <dave () farber net>
CC: Albertazzie, Sally <SAlbertazzie () steptoe com>
Subject: RE: [IP] Encryption Scare
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 14:15:39 -0500

My memory is that the last al-Qaeda laptop that made the news was one
purchased by a Wall Street Journal reporter in Kabul.  And I believe 
that
laptop did have encryption activated, but through good luck it was an
export-version encryption system with a 40-bit key.  Such keys were
exportable because they are breakable.  If that's so, Brock is drawing 
the
wrong lesson from the fact that we've so far been able to read 
terrorists'
laptops.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 2:06 PM
To: ip ip
Subject: [IP] Encryption Scare


-----Original Message-----
From: Meeks, Brock (MSNBCi) <Brock.Meeks () MSNBC COM>
To: 'dave () farber net' <dave () farber net>
Subject: Encryption Scare
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2003 09:21:05 -0800

Dave,

Our intelligence and law enforcement officials constantly beat the 
drum
that
encryption must be controlled; that it is the hands of criminals,
child
abusers and of course, terrorists.

We are told, again by these folks, that terrorists are actively using
encryption technologies to thwart capture and detection.  Odd that we
have
seen no direct evidence of this use of technology save some anecdotes
bubbling up from the Louis Freeh-era FBI vis-à-vis "encryption on
laptops"
confiscated from some terrorist bust.

So with the news of the high profile arrest over the weekend of Khalid
Shaik
Mohammed and a captured "treasure trove" of information on computers
and
computer disks we STILL have not seen any evidence of encryption.

Indeed, there are leaks already about what was or is on those
computers:
plans for more terrorist attacks, all data accessible without having
to
break any encryption scheme.
--farber

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