Slashdot Mirror
Export-level Encryption Proves Insufficient
rossjudson writes: "The Independent is running an article about the shoe bomber terrorist. The interesting bit for Slashdot readers is at the bottom -- apparently the 40-bit encryption in the export version of Windows 2000 was cracked by a set of computers using a brute force method. So let's confront the question: Should the US prohibit the export of high-encryption software? Here is a case where the default values (40 bit) clearly helped recover valuable information from a system." There's another article in New Scientist focusing on the encryption issue.
HE WAS/IS A CITIZEN OF THE USA
Since when? Reid is a British subject, not a US Citizen.
128-bit Encryption Becomes the Default in Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
The Windows® 2000 operating system was the first Microsoft platform with 128-bit encryption to be shipped internationally after the United States government relaxed its export restrictions for strong encryption in early 2000. Microsoft has obtained the necessary approvals to ship Windows 2000 with strong encryption to all customers worldwide except U.S. embargoed destinations.
If I was anybody anywhere looking for encryption tools, I'd start with GnuPG. This way we can avoid patented algorithms and proprietary/closed source problems altogether from the git go.
I do not have a signature
Here is a link to the MIT distribution site for PGP freeware. I haven't tried the GNU Privacy gaurd yet, but the MIT site seems to be more comprehensive in comparison. For instance they have a .exe for Windows 95/98/NT/2000! and the Macintosh and
a Command Line version for UNIX. Although you need One of these flavors of UNIX:
Sun Solaris for SPARC version 2.51 or later; AIX 4.2 or later; HPUX 10.20 or later; and of course Linux x86 Red Hat (RPM) 5.0 or later. To encypt mail they use something being developed on sourceforge [woo hoo] called Mailcrypt . It does say on the Mailcrypt site that they now support both PGP and GnuPG. So now I am not sure of the difference between the two.
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somehow get a 5 x 5 x 1/16" piece of plastic outside a country
Why bother?
Just print the code in a book (or even use the 3-line RSA algoritham on a bit of paper) and it was perfectly legal to export it from the US (freedom of the press).
This is how the international PGP versions were legitematley exported, and then scanned in using OCR to get the code in an electronic format again.
This was partly why the law was overturned. What is the point in banning the export of code in an electronic format, when it was perfectly legal (first amendment) to export in a writen format.
Anyone quoted by a reporter knows how little they understand
Don't believe what you read is the truth.