Wiretap Chip Questions

[Douglas Barnes <wixer!wixer.bga.com!gumby@cactus.org>]

I am working on articles and article proposals for some local media
outlets. I need to get some specific information regarding the
Clipper Chip (aka Wiretap Chip) proposal:

Questions:

1) What is a rough estimate of how long it would take a brute-force
   attack on an 80-bit key using a parallel architecture
   system costing less than, say, $25,000 two to three years from now.

2) How, in your opinion, would this affect the creation of international
   standards for encryption? Would this help or hinder development of the
   global economy?

3) I understand that the scheme relies on the secrecy of the encryption
   algorithm to protect the transmission of keys at the beginning of 
   a session. (It uses a system key to encyrpt the keys for the two
   devices). If the algorithm is successfully reverse-engineered,
   does this compromise the entire system?

4) I am assuming that this system would be just as vulnerable to a "known 
   plaintext attack" as other schemes. Is this correct?

Please identify yourself and your credentials, and indicate whether or
not you wish to be quoted in any articles on this subject. 

Thanks,

Douglas Barnes
gumby@wixer.bga.com