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macpgp question
by Rusty Hoover 18 May '93

18 May '93

Hi. Can anyone answer a question about MacPGP? My MaccPGP 2.2 seems to have developed a curious problem. I'm using it on a Mac Classic with system software 6.07. Both yesterday and today, I received a message from a friend, encrypted with my public key. When I downloaded this message from my Unix account to my Mac, it appeared on my screen as an MS Word icon. (MS Word is the word processing program I use.) I launched MacPGP, and selected "Open/Decrypt" from the file menu, and up came the box with the list of files to choose from. I chose the just-downloaded message, and then, in the PGP message area, PGP gave me the following message: "File is encrypted. Secret key is required to read it. This message can only be read by: keyID: xxx You do not have the secret key needed to decrypt this file." But the key ID number listed **is** in fact MY valid, working key ID !! Would anyone have any suggestions about why this is happening? Thanks, enormously, in advance. =============================================================================== Rusty Hoover | PGP 2.2 public key | Too much time, so little to do ... rusty(a)panix.com | by finger & e-mail | no, reverse that ... ===============================================================================

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Re: Neural Nets to decrypt?
by peb＠PROCASE.COM 18 May '93

18 May '93

In my experience, neural nets are good at generalizing across sparse data for recognizing patterns not seen before. GAs are more useful for converging (at an exponential rate giving Holland's schema theorem) on a solution to a problem. A GA is easier to train if the score is a continuous real number while most neural network implementations expect actual examples of what is in the set of things to be recognized. For a GA cryptoanalysis tool, a vector representing an experiment would be used as a genotype and the result could be the output of a specialized message detector (==1 if the text looks like plain English, ==.0001 if only a few words are seen, etc. (and of course it would need to detect file formats like that of compress)). Given this, a GA could find a solution. However, in learning theory, there are problems considered to be unlearnable and the standard example is encrypted information! The solution space could be like a plane with a single "needle" in it that is the solution with no hills in the general direction of the needle. This kind of solution space requires exhaustive search, unfortunately. It is difficult to characterize a solution space, but it is the key part--the mapping of a gene vector to a fraction representing the completeness of the solution is critical--and if it is completely flat with a needle, then it is not worth it. Alternatively, if it is completely random, then it also is not worth it. The solution space must be somewhere in these two extremes to be useful for a GA. Based on my limited experience with cbw (crypt breakers workbench), it is possible to get partial results (e.g., ex*lo*e -> explore and other words are then filled in) and zoom in the full solution, so based on that, a GA would be helpful. cbw is for an Enigma type machine and newer algorithms are much more sophisticated, so I don't know if the same kind of partial knowledge applies for RSA, DES3, IDEA cracking. Paul E. Baclace peb(a)procase.com

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Neural Nets to decrypt?
by anon03e2＠nyx.cs.du.edu 18 May '93

18 May '93

I am naive on a couple of fronts, so apologies if this is off-base. As computing evolves, would it be very possible to use a neural net or like system to design an ideal code-breaking engine? From my u understanding, code-breakers are only as good as their designer's knowledge of the algorithim. Such a hypothetical system would develop its own cracking alogorithim which could be more efficient by several factors. I think another variation would the use of GA's to create a more efficient code-breaker. I know that GAs have been used to achieve near-ideal results in least-step sorting algorithims. Would code-breaking be the same in principle?

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GCHQ Question
by Duncan Frissell 18 May '93

18 May '93

>>>What does GCHQ stand for, and what does it do? Is it similar to the NSA?<< (Feyd Eli) The Royal Signals Establishment at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England is known as General Communications Head Quarters (GCHQ). It is also called 'Cheltenham' after its location. It performs many of the same sigint jobs as the NSA. There was a controversy a few years ago when the US wanted Maggie to outlaw (socialist) union membership by the Civil Service employees at GCHQ because the Regan administration considered it a security risk. Duncan

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CALLER ID?
by Sandy 18 May '93

18 May '93

_________________________________________________________________ SANDY SANDFORT ssandfort(a)attmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Punksters! I think some of you are seriously missing the point about the ANI capture of telephone numbers on calls made to 800 numbers. Yes, yes, yes, we are all smart cookies on this list. We can avoid having ANI capture our number if we want to. SO WHAT? The insidious thing about the use of ANI is that the *general public* has no idea it exists. And this is because of the of lack of candor on the part of telcos and 800 companies. As an example, the Bank of America includes a newsletter with their statement. In a recent issue there was an item about WeTip, an 800 hotline. Here is an excerpt of what it said: "If you want to report information about any criminal activity, call WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME and remember, DON'T give the interviewer your name. You will be assigned a code name and number." Now, WE know all that "code name" BS is just a smoke screen to make the mark think he is anonymous. Unfortunately, most folks don't know what we know. (Did YOU know your 800 calls were compromised, before I posted the callback number?) The folks at 1-800-STOPPER and FULL DISCLOSURE tell me that while most cellular phone systems currently release only trunk numbers to ANI, this is changing. One by one, they are being programmed to release the number of the actual cellular phone. Presumably, this is being done in preparation for Caller ID (and maybe to assist *legitimate* law enforcement needs?). S a n d y (arbitration volunteer) >>>>>>>> Please address e-mail to: ssandfort(a)attmail.com <<<<<<<< _________________________________________________________________

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No Subject
by kelly＠pleiku.netcom.com 18 May '93

18 May '93

>From kelly Mon May 17 21:31:11 0700 1993 remote from pleiku To: netcoms!longs.lance.colostate.edu!ld231782 cc: toad.com!cypherpunks Subject: Re: I'M GOING CRAZY! FWEE! In-reply-to: Your message of "Mon, 17 May 1993 22:07:22 MDT." <9305180408.AA15369(a)longs.lance.colostate.edu> Priority: urgent Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 21:31:11 -0700 From: "Stop the Big Brother CHip" <pleiku!kelly> Received: from pleiku by pleiku.netcom.com; Mon, 17 May 1993 21:31 PDT Content-Type: text Content-Length: 1375 OK So I am extremely irritating... :)(I sincerely hope I am the biggest BURR under the saddle the government has had in a long time) I too am disappointed... it had been my understanding that julf was going to newgroup alt.whistleblowers... no action on that front... I will be bringing up C-news this week and I will see about it after that... you shouldnt have to wait too long... cheers kelly -- Parts of this .sig borrowed with permission from T.C.May. Perhaps it will indeed get me busted also. .......................................................................... Kelly Goen | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, kelly(a)netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero Intelligence Systems | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Specialists Inc. | black markets, face banks, data havens, dark | tech, covert channels, shared secrets, | alt.whistleblowers, collapse of governments. Technical Monkeywrench | Public Key: PGP 2.2. | .......................................................................... PGP 2.2 Key available from PGP Keyservers on the Internet. pub 1024/1BA573 1992/09/09 kelly <kelly(a)netcom.com> Key fingerprint = EF 7A 38 99 22 84 E3 3B 90 2A DB 80 DC 65 DA 31 STOP THE WIRETAP CHIP(Clipper Chip)!!

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Re: a valuable spy...
by karn＠qualcomm.com 18 May '93

18 May '93

The note from Watson could well be a decoy to draw the NSA off the track of the *real* spy... :-) Phil

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Ethernet 20th birthday retrospective at Sun
by gnu＠cygnus.com 18 May '93

18 May '93

This is slightly off-topic, but seeing the history of an important networking technology may be interesting for Bay Area cypherpunks. Apologies to the rest of the list. John * please forward this announcement within the Bay area * * and post to any appropriate internal aliases * Bay Area Computer History Perspectives "Ethernet 20th Birthday---Early History of the Ethernet" A panel discussion with David Boggs, Ron Crane, Robert Metcalfe, and John Shoch 5:30 PM, Tuesday, May 25 Stanford Room Sun Microsystems Bldg. 6 2750 Coast Ave. Mt. View May 22, 1973, was the birthday of the Ethernet. On that date, Bob Metcalfe used the word Ethernet in a memo to describe a project previously known as the Alto Aloha net. And Ethernet has been a major part of Local Area Networks ever since. In this panel discussion, four of the most influential individuals in the history of Ethernet will come together again, to look back at the situation and events of 20 years ago. Among other possible topics: - What were the initial goals? How did they change over time? - What were Ethernet's main competitors in 1973? Why didn't they succeed? - Why was the intial data transfer rate fixed at exactly 2.94 Mbit/sec? How did it eventually get set at 10 Mbit/sec? - How did Intel and DEC get involved? - How did Ethernet become a standard? Where there any compromises? - And a glimpse at the future of Ethernet today Topics such as these can suggest some of the value of learning from history. The lessons can be useful right now, today, and also in the future. After you take a look back into the past of the computer industry, you may look at your own work differently the very next day. Bay Area Computer History Perspectives is a series of programs organised by Peter Nurkse and Jeanie Treichel, of Sun Microsystems, to explore and record our local Bay area computer history. Programs are videotaped for the archives of The Computer Museum in Boston, which maintains collections on the history of the international computer industry. This program is open to the public and free of charge. Copies of the new ACM History of Electronic Computing poster, a full color timeline 5.5 feet long, will be available at the cost price of two dollars (cash only). After a summer break, the next program in this series will be on the ERMA project at Bank of America, on Sept. 28 (ERMA may have been the first major Bay area contribution to the history of computing). Suggestions for further programs are welcome, and can be faxed to Jeanie Treichel at 415/691-0756, or e-mailed to nurkse(a)eng.sun.com. If you are willing to appear on a panel, or can contact someone whom you suggest be included, that additional information would be very helpful. Directions to Sun Building 6 in Mt. View: take San Antonio Road North exit from highway 101 in Mt. View. Go a block past the traffic lights at the intersection, and then - turn right on Casey Ave. - go one block on Casey Ave., then turn right again on Marine Way - go one block on Marine Way, then turn left on Coast Ave. - go down to the end of Coast Ave., and Building 6 is on your right

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Publications
by x62727g2＠usma8.USMA.EDU 18 May '93

18 May '93

Greetings fellow crypto warriors, I am attempting to locate several publications to see if they are still in existence and where I might them or archives of previous issues. The publications I am interested in are TAP, NIA, AOTD, NARC, etc. If anyone knows where I might be able to obtain these or similar publications, please let me know. Also, does anyone know where any "interesting" ftp sites which carry files or other data related to these type publications? Thanks, Anthony J. Gatlin |-------------------------------------| Cadet Private, Co. G-2 |PGP Public Key available on request. | United States Military Academy |-------------------------------------|

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GCHQ in the UK
by AOLCHTNN＠vax1.tcd.ie 18 May '93

18 May '93

Can someone tell me whether what I've heard about GCHQ in the UK?? A lot of books and magazines of fairly serious political content have alleged that GCHQ taps _all_ Irish telephone calls and screens them electronically for "keywords", to find the interesting conversations. (The IRA is alleged to have something similar, although not quite so sophisticated) What I want to know is whether digital voice-recognition monitoring on such a scale is really possible? Thanx in advance Antoin O Lachtnain, Trinity College Dublin. PS Iis there anyone in the UK or Ireland who'd be willing to send me a copy of PGP 2.2, if I send them a couple o' blank disks? AOL

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