[429] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: Analysis of proposed UK ban on use of non-escrowed crypto.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Timothy C. May)
Sat Mar 22 00:01:18 1997
X-Real-To: cryptography@c2.net
In-Reply-To: <199703220147.BAA01386@server.test.net>
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 20:05:16 -0800
To: Adam Back <aba@dcs.ex.ac.uk>, cypherpunks@cyberpass.net,
cryptography@c2.net
From: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Cc: trei@process.com, ttp.comments@ciid.dti.gov.uk, rja14@cl.cam.ac.uk,
aba@dcs.ex.ac.uk
Adam Back quoted from the U.K. document:
": If such a system is not mandatory why bother, surely crooks and
: terrorists will use something else ?
:
: Criminals will often make use of whatever technology is conveniently
: available to them. We expect TTPs to have a major role in conveying
: secure electronic communications, especially where a payment for
: legitimate services is involved.
and then Adam said:
"The good old NSA/Freeh argument: criminals and terrorists are stupid.
Yawn, yah right."
As one minor aside, at last week's CFP I spent some time talking to a law
enforcement trainer, responsible for teaching law enforcement folks how to
deal with cryptography and high tech.
He repeated this canard about criminals being stupid, too stupid to use
modern tools. I gave him some counterexamples (cell phones, digital dead
drops, PGP, etc.) and ran a quick series of scenarios past him about
creating virtual networks, turn-key systems, the offer to buy the Witness
Security Program data base for $100K, etc.
His eyes narrowed and he said "Whose side are you on?"
(I bit my tongue and held back on saying, "Not yours, that's for sure.")
I'm convinced the cops are in the dark ages. Given that most of what the
world's cops classify as crime isn't what I classify as crime, I count this
as a good thing.
--Tim
Just say "No" to "Big Brother Inside"
We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
