Declan McCullagh wrote:
>
> Lucky, actually not everyone missed it. It's our top story on Wired News
> this morning.
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/21810.html
> Decoding the Crypto Policy Change
> 3:00 a.m. Why did the White House suddenly change its mind on
> regulating encryption? It couldn't be because the NSA has
> changed its spying agenda. Or could it? A Wired News
> perspective by Declan McCullagh.
>
> -Declan
>
Read your story, and it's pretty good, but I also read your transcript
last night. So, I don't understand what limits have been eased?
====
The transcript says:
Q It isn't relaxation?
MR. HAMRE: Actually, I don't think so. I think it's a very different approach
to the export problem. The path that we were on before was a very complex
path. ... But we were going to have to do that anyway, and we think this is going to
be a much better process for us. It's not a relaxation. It's really a very
different approach.
Q Ms. Reno, would you describe this as a relaxing of restrictions? And if so,
how can you possibly support it after having opposed it for all this time?
ATTY GEN. RENO: What we did approximately a year ago is to meet with industry.
We talked to them in a very full and frank way. We said, together let's look at
it. They sympathized with our law enforcement responsibilities. And they said,
if we can work together, they suggested the concept of a technical support
center; we can, I think, according to the people that were there, address the
problem.
In the interim, we have had the opportunity to have those discussions, to expand
on that dialogue, and I think we will be able to.
Q Why wouldn't you consider this a relaxing of restrictions on encryption?
ATTY GEN. RENO: No.
====
For example, I have a set of source code for Photuris in KA9Q. It is an
authentication only version that I created during the window of
opportunity that John Gilmore brought us for DNS Sec. But, the window
closed when the Feds reversed themselves. It makes more than 64 bit keys.
It supports 1024 bit D-H, and would be easily modified to larger sizes.
Walnut Creek won't put it on the MSDOS CDROM. They don't want to apply
for review, track sales, or any of the other things required. I've
been encouraged to put it on the net, but the sites that I might use
won't allow it. They cannot afford the Fed confiscation risk.
I've already endured an FBI investigation for treason, 8 years of IRS audit
and resulting 2 Tax Court cases (I substantially won both of them at high
cost to myself) over my earlier net release of PPP CHAP. (Apparently,
my code showed up in the old Societ Union. Big surprise.) They
wouldn't believe I'd given the code away for free, and kept searching
for "unexplained" income right up to the court dates.
So, this is not theoretical for me. What exactly has eased? How does
this "different approach" make life easier for me?
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Key fingerprint = 17 40 5E 67 15 6F 31 26 DD 0D B9 9B 6A 15 2C 32
