[575] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
RE: Escrow agencies closed?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Frantz)
Fri Apr 18 23:15:57 1997
In-Reply-To: <Pine.SUN.3.96.970418105153.616o-100000@polaris.mindport.net>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 18:33:39 -0700
To: Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li>, Larry Layten <larry@ljl.com>
From: Bill Frantz <frantz@netcom.com>
Cc: Rick Smith <smith@securecomputing.com>,
"'Black Unicorn'" <unicorn@polaris.mindport.net>,
"cryptography@c2.net" <cryptography@c2.net>
At 7:56 AM -0700 4/18/97, Black Unicorn wrote:
>On Fri, 18 Apr 1997, Larry Layten wrote:
>
>> It is true that key escrow has been terminated for the FORTEZZA
>> cards, and also that new firmware is being loaded to existing cards
>> that does not support LEAF.
>>
>> There is a statement on a DOD site that I will post when I get to
>> work and find it, but it lacks details.
>
>
>I spoke this morning with Ms. Miller, General Counsel for DoD.
>(Interestingly enough I was referred to her when asking other contacts
>about the issue. She confirmed the basics (end of key escrow, etc.)
>but was evasive in a way which, at least among those in
>the legal profession, screams "something more is going on here."
>
>I also found it quite interesting that DoD was the "Contact Agency" on
>this. I hadn't followed it very carefully in past, anyone know why this
>ended up in DoD's lap? My only guess is that their "Information Warfare
>Directorate" is coming out of the development and formation phase.
I like the idea that someone, probably NSA, found a fatal flaw in the key
"escrow" portion of the protocol, and they are trying to prevent other
governments from GAKing their data. But then, I am a wide-eyed optimist.
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