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The following archive was created by hippie-mail 7.98617-22 on Sat Apr 10 1999 - 01:17:38
nexus@tatoosh.com
23 Dec 1998 22:21:52 -0800
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Mok-Kong Shen <mok-kong.shen@stud.uni-muenchen.de> writes:
> Ge' Weijers wrote:
> >
> > On Tue, Dec 22, 1998 at 06:24:43PM +0100, Mok-Kong Shen wrote:
> > > In order to cope with the 56-bit key length restriction,
> >
> > I don't know the legal situation is Germany, but it is not true in
> > general that 56-bit encryption products are freely exportable. In the US
>
> If I don't err, the Wassenaar agreement, if it goes through in
> all the 33 countries, sets the upper bound of exportable cryptos
> at 56 bits for these countries. So the current state of affairs in
> US will change in due course of time.
This may or may not come true. But I for one do not care. I refuse to have
my personal security artificially limited by a bunch of bureaucrats who's
only interest is in limiting my freedoms so they can tax me to death. Giving
in and working within the bounds of the Wassenaar agreement is the essence
of giving up liberty to gain security. As Ben Franklin about his views on
this. I equate it with the 'assault weapon' bans that have been recently
passed, to no effect.
It is up to the programmers to create and disseminate strong, secure
encryption technology as far and wide as possible, enabling all people to
exercise their god given right to be secure. To further this end we HAVE TO
make it easier to use things like PGP, GPG, etc. with mainstream email and
news clients. Producing crippled 56bit systems may make the governments
happy, but they will only hurt our security in the end. If weak encryption
is allowed to create a foothold it will be that much harder for better
systems to be introduced later.
So, who's working to make things easier to use?
Brian
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The following archive was created by hippie-mail 7.98617-22 on Sat Apr 10 1999 - 01:17:38