Re: News Bytes June 8, 1933

[peter honeyman <honey@citi.umich.edu>]

some interesting stuff here -- a little whistle-blowing here, a
little clipper punching there ...

		peter

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Date: Tue, 8 Jun 93 13:02:07 -0400
From: rweingar@cs.UMD.EDU (Rick Weingarten)
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Subject: News Bytes  June 8, 1933


                        Computing Research News Bytes
                                by
                        Juan Antonio Osuna
                        with Rick Weingarten

6/8/93

        GAO Criticizes ARPA on Architecture Research

The General Accounting Office released a report in May (GAO/IMTEC-
93-24), criticizing the DoD's Advanced Research Projects Agency for
its handling of the High Performance Computers and Communications
program.

Some researchers have criticized ARPA for procuring only Intel and 
Thinking Machines supercomputers for use by ARPA projects, while 
ignoring machines manufactured by other companies.. GAO cleared 
ARPA of the harsher accusations of serious misconduct, but upheld this 
general criticism, saying that such a narrow focus has inhibited R&D by
other supercomputer manufacturers.

The report suggested that ARPA should seek advice from a broader
range of researchers who do not directly participate in ARPA
projects. Finally, GAO said ARPA needs to give more emphasis to 
software development, which in the past has been given lower priority 
than hardware.

ARPA claims it has already fixed many of these problems..

GAO is now planning a follow-on study looking more broadly at program 
management and support for high performance architecture research in all 
agencies..

        House Appropriations Subcom Gives NSF an 11% Increase

[elided]

        "Clipper Chip" Proposal Draws Public Criticism

The Clinton Administration's recent proposal to implement the Clipper 
chip as a government encryption standard is receiving a cold welcome 
from some in the computer community.

During a three-day meeting before the Computer System Security
and Privacy Advisory Board of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology, dozens of people from academia, industry, and civil
liberties groups expressed disapproval for the way the White House is 
trying to implement its cryptographic policies. Complaints were directed 
in three directions---to the technology, to the process of selecting the 
standard, and to the civil liberties implications for Federal wiretapping.

The Administration initiated a public review after, rather than before, 
declaring Clipper as a government standard and ordering thousands of 
Clipper devices for government use.

In light of the negative reaction, the advisory board passed a resolution to 
extend public review and voted to hold another board meeting in late July. 
The board also decided to send a letter to the White House to relay public 
concerns and to suggest tactfully that the president reconsider the Clipper 
scheme.

        Amendments to HPCC Act Move Forward

[elided]

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