IMPORTANT--WE WON

[Sandy <72114.1712@CompuServe.COM>]

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             FROM THE VIRTUAL DESK OF SANDY SANDFORT
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FIRST, THE BAD NEWS--The government wants to control encryption.
Though they are playing coy about it, it's clear that eventually
they will try to ban "the good stuff."  It's clear Zimmermann,
and others, have gotten their attention.

NOW, THE GOOD NEWS--I t  d o e s  n o t  m a t t e r.  The game
is over.  We won.  The government may engage in holding actions,
but it still doesn't matter.  What we have here, is the State's
pitiful attempt to make the best of a bad situation.  This
amazing "policy" announcement is a tacit admission of defeat.

HOW CAN I BE SO SURE?--The cat is out of the bag.  Free, mil spec
data encryption is readily available to all.  Within a year,
equivalent voice encryption freeware will join it.  There is no
way the government can stuff the encryption cat back in the bag.
They can pass their laws.  We will do as we please--and they will
help us.

THEY WILL *HELP* US?--The Administration's plan will have one,
unintended, result.  It will give legitimacy to privacy through
encryption.  Legitimacy will beget usage.  And usage will mean
TRAFFIC.  Our securely encrypted messages will be hidden in plain
sight.  Whispers in a wind tunnel.  One digitally encrypted phone
call sound just like another--no matter what algorithm is used.

A PLOY FOR THE PARANOID--Still think the Secret Service is going
to get you?  No problem.  Just *PRE-encrypt* your phone or data
communications with your home-made encryption unit, before you
re-encrypt it using the government approved model.  ("Hey, I
don't know why you couldn't use your back door key to eavesdrop
on my secure phone.  Sounds like a personal problem to me.")

THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION IS RIGHT, TOO--Yes, we can
rejoice because we won.  But it is still important to continue
the fight against the State's last gasps.  Even when the
government is in random-walk mode, it's still possible to get
stepped on.  They have lost, but they can still do us plenty of
damage.  We should continue to press them on all fronts to secure
our victory.  But never doubt it,  W E   H A V E   W O N.


 S a n d y
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PLEASE RESPOND TO: ssandfort@attmail.com (except from CompuServe)
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