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NSA Approves First 802.11b Product for Secret Data
joehoya writes "I realize this is a couple of days old, but the National Security Agency recently certified the Harris Corp's Secnet-11 as the first 802.11b system permitted to carry US SECRET level data. See press release. The system integrates NSA crypto with commercial chipset based 802.11b PCMCIA cards and access points to create a secure wireless LAN. Unfortunately, you and I won't be able to buy them, as they are only available to organizations with an NSA COMSEC account."
By the time we can buy them, the encrypted brain implants would be the hottest thing. Start looking in the military surplus bins in 2020.
Gorkman
I think it would be best for national security if we made the NSA crypto algorithm Open Source. The military could benefit greatly from the vast experience and dedication of the Open Source developer community. With their steadfastness, courage, and discipline they could be a great aid in these of needs where we face numerous international threats.
Only when we harness the power available in the Open Source developer community can be achieve fully secure e-mail communications.
Wearing pants should always be optional.
When will someone take one apart and find out its a Cisco card and makes a firmware upgrade for other cards?
My potato gun was confiscated by the United Nations. They said I wasn't allowed to have weapons of mash destruction.
You used perfectly and secure in the same sentence. That is all the proof needed to show that you do not know what you are talking about.
- One of them gets detected with a pringles can across the street from an NSA office
- That same cantenna manages to sniff enough packets to crack the keys
My money is on Friday, November 22, 2002--
Well, unless military satellites are dropping film canisters or tethered with fiber optic cables, I think it's farily safe to conclude that classified data is already being transmitted through your person at this moment.
If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
joehoya writes "I realize this is a couple of days old..."
Hey, this is Slashdot, my friend! We post things two or even three times just to ensure that our faithful geek readership doesn't miss a beat on the latest and greatest technology news of the past 48 hours^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hweek^H^H^H^Hmonth^H^H^H^H^H year!
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
"ClipperNet 11 is an innovative new product that allows us to provide our civilian customers with the advantages of secure wireless communications," said an NSA spokesperson. "With Type 1 Encryption, NSANet 11 meets the Department of Defense's stringent requirements for wireless transmission of both classified and unclassified information."
When asked whether the product had any relationship with the Clipper chip proposal of the mid 1990's, the NSA declined to comment. "Er, emm ... we don't have any comment on that", said one NSA spokesperson, who was last seen leaving hastily.
"Don't worry", a Harris spokesperson said. "We would never even think of embedding any technology into our products that would make it possible for secret government agencies to read the encrypted data stream, and we would certainly never use any information gained in that way for marketing purposes. Trust us!"
Harris shares were up 2 3/4 points today.
Use 'slashdot stuff' in the subject line in any email you send me if you want to get past the spam filter.
Anyone want to guess what the WarChacking Symbol for this would end up being? Mabye a secure network symbol a barbed wire? Condom? gun? Handcuffs?
Neck_of_the_Woods
#/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
So even their spokespeople are unidentified?
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Warfighter? Holy Doubleplusgood Newspeak, Batman!
Because, you know, it's important to distinguish between the warfighters and the warsitontheirassesbitchingaboutcivillibertyers.
Or maybe this is some sort of subtle dig at wardrivers. "Those bandwidth-thievin' pinkos DRIVE around with their wireless rigs! Real men use new technology for FIGHTING!"
...or tethered with fiber optic cables...
Hey! that would be a great way to keep them from drifting off into space.
"Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door." - Emily Dickinson
you use an algorithm designed by some freak at the NSA and suddenly you are cloak-and-dagger?
cloak-and-dagger is snowboarding down a mountain in front of an avalanche while helicopters fire rockets at you. get with the program here.
For Immediate Release: NSA to use Navajo "Code Talkers" for 802.11b encryption. 11/12/2002 The National Security Agency ("NSA") of the United States announced that effective immeidately they would be using 'code talking' technology based on the language of the Navajo Nation to encrypt all their 802.11b links. "We feel that this is an approriate encryption for these type of links" says Hugh G. Peter Head of NSA Encryption. "Besides, it will put many unemployed Native Americans back to work". The move was immediately commended by Microsoft Corp., who pledged to use this radical new encryption system in all it's new wireless products.