[iwar] [fc:Keys.called.target.for.terrorists]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-10-03 17:57:01


Return-Path: <sentto-279987-2669-1002156896-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com>
Delivered-To: fc@all.net
Received: from 204.181.12.215 by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-5.1.0) for fc@localhost (single-drop); Wed, 03 Oct 2001 17:59:44 -0700 (PDT)
Received: (qmail 4135 invoked by uid 510); 4 Oct 2001 00:57:17 -0000
Received: from n30.groups.yahoo.com (216.115.96.80) by 204.181.12.215 with SMTP; 4 Oct 2001 00:57:17 -0000
X-eGroups-Return: sentto-279987-2669-1002156896-fc=all.net@returns.onelist.com
Received: from [10.1.1.220] by n30.groups.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 04 Oct 2001 00:57:12 -0000
X-Sender: fc@big.all.net
X-Apparently-To: iwar@onelist.com
Received: (EGP: mail-7_4_1); 4 Oct 2001 00:54:56 -0000
Received: (qmail 92338 invoked from network); 4 Oct 2001 00:54:54 -0000
Received: from unknown (10.1.10.26) by 10.1.1.220 with QMQP; 4 Oct 2001 00:54:54 -0000
Received: from unknown (HELO big.all.net) (65.0.156.78) by mta1 with SMTP; 4 Oct 2001 00:57:07 -0000
Received: (from fc@localhost) by big.all.net (8.9.3/8.7.3) id RAA21536 for iwar@onelist.com; Wed, 3 Oct 2001 17:57:01 -0700
Message-Id: <200110040057.RAA21536@big.all.net>
To: iwar@onelist.com (Information Warfare Mailing List)
Organization: I'm not allowed to say
X-Mailer: don't even ask
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.5 PL1]
From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com
Delivered-To: mailing list iwar@yahoogroups.com
Precedence: bulk
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:iwar-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 17:57:01 -0700 (PDT)
Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [iwar] [fc:Keys.called.target.for.terrorists]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Keys called target for terrorists

By Greg Langlois, Federal Computer Week, 10/3/2001
<a href="http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/1001/web-keys-10-03-01.asp">http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2001/1001/web-keys-10-03-01.asp>

A panel of experts and members of Congress spoke out against legislation
that would force those using encryption software to hand over decoding
keys to third-party organizations. 

Instead of providing additional protection, "mandatory key escrow" would
be a "serious threat" to the nation's infrastructure, said Rep.  Bob
Goodlatte (R-Va.), at a panel discussion Oct.  2 on electronic
surveillance and terrorism presented by the Congressional Internet
Caucus Advisory Committee.  Mandatory key escrow calls for a duplicate
key that can decipher encrypted information, to be held by a trusted
third party -- such as a bank. 

"This is a matter of utmost national security," he said.  "Encryption is
the strongest tool we have" for protecting key institutions, such as
financial markets.  Such keys would be another target for terrorists,
and enabling law enforcement to access them would put institutions at
risk, he said. 

Proponents of key escrow say that without an additional, accessible key
held by a third party, law enforcement agencies would be unable to
decode data concealed through strong encryption.  That would enable
terrorists and other criminal organizations to communicate
electronically without the possibility of detection, they say. 

Goodlatte said that so far, investigators haven't found any evidence
indicating that the Sept.  11 terrorists used strong encryption. 
Furthermore, even if they did use it, they wouldn't offer their keys to
a third party, he said. 

"Osama bin Laden is not going to escrow his keys," Goodlatte said. 

Sen.  Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) agreed, saying that law enforcement should
try to stop the advancement of new tools.  "Technology is going to
grow," he said.  "The genie is out of the bottle."

John Podesta, a professor at Georgetown University and former White
House chief of staff under President Clinton, agreed that mandatory key
escrow proposals would not work.  Besides, he said, encryption is
difficult to use and in the future, "security tools will be built into
networks by the providers," such as banks and Internet service
providers. 

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Pinpoint the right security solution for your company- Learn how to add 128- bit encryption and to authenticate your web site with VeriSign's FREE guide!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/yQix2C/33_CAA/yigFAA/kgFolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

------------------
http://all.net/ 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : 2001-12-31 20:59:53 PST