[11972] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Clipper and Aldrich Ames
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Network User's Group)
Wed Apr 27 00:49:22 1994
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 1994 02:01:23 -0500 (CDT)
From: Network User's Group <nugnet@mercury.mcs.com>
To: Barry Shein <bzs@world.std.com>
Cc: bryon@boa.meaddata.com, com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <199404260154.AA04309@world.std.com>
I don't think that the Clipper stuff ever got sold. Further more the
government knew about this situation for a long time. I have always felt
that every now and then , the government drags in a spy just to make the
public and the world at large aware - We know who you are and where your
at . Why do I say this ? Because, if this person did any real damage - Do
you think we would just arrest him ? Or do you think a policy change would
take place, and order issued - and he would be knocked off. I think the
really bad spy cases NEVER come to trial. They are handled in some dark
place - for us to wonder about.... Me , hey I prefer to travel a safer road.
Doc & The small dog
On Mon, 25 Apr 1994, Barry Shein wrote:
>
> >Data Communications reported in their April issue that the Clipper
> >technology may have been sold to the Russians by Aldrich Ames, thereby
> >making it an obsolete technology for the US gvt. However, I have heard
> >nothing more about the validity of this report.
> >
> >Is this true? It would make me so happy.... ;-)
>
> This seems like a weird story, was the data encryption technology to
> be used with Clipper some sort of secret? I don't think so. So what
> could Ames have sold? All the keys? Do they even exist yet? Wouldn't
> simply scrambling (e.g. re-pairing) or generating a new set of keys
> fix this?
>
> Unless I'm missing something it doesn't make sense. I suppose the
> paranoid side of me says if this story is fundamentally true then
> there was a known, universal trap-door that was revealed. Swell.
>
> -Barry Shein
>
> Software Tool & Die | bzs@world.std.com | uunet!world!bzs
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