[117141] in Cypherpunks
trusted chips? trusted testing other chips? backdoored chips practical?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Gary Jeffers)
Fri Aug 27 01:48:20 1999
Message-ID: <000901bef05d$e60589e0$31c7a5d0@jeffers>
From: "Gary Jeffers" <jeffers@htc.net>
To: <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net>
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 00:29:24 -0700
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trusted chips? trusted testing other chips? backdoored chips practical?
It seems to me that to have real computer security it is necessary
to have at least 1 CPU chip trusted. An oppressive and ambitious
State could most elegantly destroy computer freedom by putting
backdoors with string checkers in CPU chips.
It might be possible to put a modest CPU chip in line with the
powerful, modern "maliced" chips in order to "cage" them. The trusted
chip would encrypt and decrypt the data flowing to and from the
"maliced" chip. There could be several cheap trusted chips in a system.
At the very least, the trusted chips could prevent "maliced" systems
from sending and receiving "malice" strings.
Trusted chips could be placed between keyboards and the rest of
the system. Monitors would be more difficult.
Could a trusted chip be built so that it kept its memory when the
system was powered down? I think this would be necessary.
Is it possible for a trusted chip to determine if another
chip can be trusted?
Would it be practical for a huge State to force CPU chip
manufacturers to design their chips with backdoors?
Note: I believe that the U.S. military refers to intentionally
corrupted code as malice code.
Yours Truly,
Gary Jeffers
BEAT STATE!!!!
=1A
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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>trusted chips? trusted testing other =
chips?=20
backdoored chips practical?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> It seems to me that to =
have real=20
computer security it is necessary<BR>to have at least 1 CPU chip =
trusted. An=20
oppressive and ambitious<BR>State could most elegantly destroy computer =
freedom=20
by putting<BR>backdoors with string checkers in CPU chips.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> It might be possible to =
put a=20
modest CPU chip in line with the<BR>powerful, modern "maliced" =
chips=20
in order to "cage" them. The trusted<BR>chip would encrypt and =
decrypt=20
the data flowing to and from the<BR>"maliced" chip. There =
could be=20
several cheap trusted chips in a system.<BR>At the very least, the =
trusted chips=20
could prevent "maliced" systems<BR>from sending and receiving=20
"malice" strings.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> Trusted chips could be =
placed=20
between keyboards and the rest of<BR>the system. Monitors would be more=20
difficult.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> Could a trusted chip be =
built so=20
that it kept its memory when the<BR>system was powered down? I think =
this would=20
be necessary.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> Is it possible for a =
trusted chip=20
to determine if another<BR>chip can be trusted?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2> Would it be practical =
for a huge=20
State to force CPU chip<BR>manufacturers to design their chips with=20
backdoors?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Note: I believe that the U.S. =
military refers to=20
intentionally<BR>corrupted code as malice code.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Yours Truly,<BR>Gary =
Jeffers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>BEAT =
STATE!!!!<BR>=1A</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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