[609] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
RE: Escrow agencies closed?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Brown, R Ken)
Mon Apr 21 13:33:09 1997
From: "Brown, R Ken" <brownrk1@texaco.com>
To: "'Black Unicorn'" <unicorn@polaris.mindport.net>,
"'Rick Smith'"
<smith@securecomputing.com>,
"'Larry Layten'" <larry@ljl.com>
Cc: "'Black Unicorn'" <unicorn@polaris.mindport.net>,
"'cryptography@c2.net'"
<cryptography@c2.net>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 05:04:32 -0500
Larry Layten wrote:
>>I believe that you will find that anyone using encryption for
>>serious data processing and data storage will only do so if
>>there a key recovery scheme.
>>I know I have been bitten several times trying to read a file that
>>I encrypted with a new "easy for me to remeber later" pass-
>phrase.
Of course. I don't think anyone was objecting to the idea of keeping a
safe
copy of your key if you want to. Your US DoD chose a useful analogy in
the press release we're talking about:
<http://www.dtic.dla.mil/defenselink/news/Mar97/b031497_bt120-97.html>
>As outlined in the Administration policy, key recovery relies on trusted
parties to verify digital signatures and also
>hold spare keys to confidential data. Those keys could be obtained only by
persons or entities that have lost the key
>to their own encrypted data, or by law enforcement officials acting under
proper authority. It is analogous to asking
>one's neighbors to safeguard house keys. This policy adopts a market- driven
approach to promoting global key
>recovery with industry.
It's a good idea to leave a copy of your housekeys with a neighbour or
friend or relative you trust.
No objection to that. What doesn't seem such a good idea is being
*required*, by the government,
to leave a copy of your keys somewhere. Being required to tell the
police which neighbour you left
them with, so that they can break in to your house if they suspect you
of a crime, is another matter.
As far as I am aware that is what the US administration proposals amount
to.
And the latest UK government proposals in effect say tht you can only
look after your neighbours
house keys if you have a license. You too can be an Official Trusted
Good Neighbour...
Ken Brown
(usual disclaimer about this being my opinion and nothign to do with my
employers - who are no
doubt about to add their own disclaimer any byte now...)
>
