Boston Globe article 4/17/93

[Bill Sommerfeld <sommerfeld@orchard.medford.ma.us>]

[I've called the Globe to complain about their swallowing the
government's story, hook, line, and sinker; I suggest others do
likewise...]

US reveals computer chip for scrambling telephones

By John Mintz
Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The White House yesterday announced its new plan to
prevent criminals, terrorists, and industrial spies from decoding
communications over telephones, fax machines, and computers while
ensuring the government's ability to eavesdrop.

The plan features a $1200 government-developed computer chip embedded
in a scrambling device the size of a small notebook, which the
government hopes will be adopted as the universal means of encryption.
The Clinton administration said the technology will balance the
interests of civil libertarians, corporations, and individuals on the
one hand against law enforcement and intelligence agencies on the
other.

The official White House announcement yesterday was the endorsement of
the Clipper Chip, developed by NSA, as the government standard for
encryption devices.

Industry and US officials said that means the Clipper Chip also will
become widely accepted in corporate America, because companies and
individuals desiring to do business with federal agencies that encode
their information would have to use the government's standard.

The success of the government's initiative depends on the willingness
of companies to accept encryption that the government can crack.

AT&T announced yesterday it would use the new chip in all its secure
nongovernment telephones.

The NSA has licensed two California firms to manufacture and market
the Clipper Chip, officials said.  The price is expected to drop to
about $25 each, they said.