[52998] in Cypherpunks
Re: So, what crypto legislation (if any) is necessary?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Black Unicorn)
Sat Mar 30 14:39:11 1996
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 1996 14:19:20 -0500 (EST)
From: Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li>
To: JonWienke@aol.com
Cc: cypherpunks@toad.com
In-Reply-To: <960330120159_181484785@emout09.mail.aol.com>
On Sat, 30 Mar 1996 JonWienke@aol.com wrote:
> The concept of encrypting a key before escrowing it is excellent. It
> prevents the escrow agent from misusing the key, and protects the principal
> from government snooping. If the escrow agent is served a subpoena, he can
> say, "Here is the key you want. Go ahead and take it. In fact, here is my
> entire key database. All keys are encrypted by the principals before I get
> them, so I can't guarantee that you will be able to use them, but here they
> are anyway." At this point, the LEO's can take whatever they want, but the
> principals are still safe. The escrow agent doesn't have to send any
> encrypted "rosebud" message to anyone, and he can bend over backwards to make
> the LEO's happy, so his butt is covered, too. At this point, the LEO's can
> either (a) send the keys to the NSA for decryption, and thereby admit that
> the gov't can break IDEA (or whatever cryptosystem was used to encrypt the
> keys before the escrow agent got them), (b) rubber hose the unencrypted
> key(s) from the principal, or (c) go home and pout.
(d) [which may be a subset of (b)] impose contempt sanctions on the
principal until he releases the key to the key.
---
My preferred and soon to be permanent e-mail address:unicorn@schloss.li
"In fact, had Bancroft not existed, potestas scientiae in usu est
Franklin might have had to invent him." in nihilum nil posse reverti
00B9289C28DC0E55 E16D5378B81E1C96 - Finger for Current Key Information
