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CPSR Comments to NIST
>Path: digex.net!lynx.unm.edu!pacs.sunbelt.net!udel!wupost!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!ames!sgi!cdp!dsobel
>Newsgroups: alt.privacy.clipper
>Subject: CPSR Key Escrow Comments (long)
>Message-ID: <[email protected]>
>From: David L. Sobel <[email protected]>
>Date: 27 Sep 93 10:58 PDT
>Sender: Notesfile to Usenet Gateway <[email protected]>
>Lines: 200
September 27, 1993
Director, Computer Systems Laboratory
ATTN: Proposed FIPS for Escrowed Encryption Standard
Technology Building, Room B-154
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
Re: Request for Comments; Docket No. 930659-3159
This letter constitutes the formal comments of Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) on the proposed
Federal Information Processing Standard for an Escrowed Encryption
Standard (EES), as described in the Federal Register on July 30,
1993 (58 FR 40791). CPSR, a national organization of
professionals in the computing field, has a long-standing interest
in government policies concerning cryptography and computer
security. During the past several years we have pursued an
extensive study of cryptography policy in the United States. We
have organized several public conferences, conducted litigation
under the Freedom of Information Act, and appeared on a number of
panels to discuss the importance of cryptography for privacy
protection and the need to scrutinize carefully government
proposals designed to limit the use of this technology. While we
do not represent any particular computer company or trade
association, we do speak for a great many people in the computer
profession who value privacy and are concerned about the
government's key escrow initiative.
To properly evaluate the key escrow proposal, it is necessary
to consider the Computer Security Act of 1987, which made clear
Congress' intent that in the area of unclassified computing
systems NIST -- and not the National Security Agency (NSA) --
would be responsible for the development of technical standards.
The Act emphasizes public accountability and stresses open
decision-making.
In the spirit of the Act, NIST set out in 1989 to develop a
public key cryptography standard. According to documents obtained
by CPSR through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), NIST
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To: [email protected] (Matthew Gream), [email protected]
From: [email protected] (Michael Sattler)
Subject: Re: POISON PILL :-)
At 10:35 10/1/93 -0500, Matthew Gream wrote:
>
>I have Australian Defence Security Clearance stickers on my computer,
>they are so cool, these little yellow and red stickers that authorise
>the computer for secure use (and something else I can't remember).
Any chance of getting a few sent to me in San Francisco?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael S. Sattler [email protected] +1 (415) 358-3058
Digital Jungle Software Encrypt now; ask me how. (finger for PGP key)
"Don't Panic!" -- Douglas Adams "Don't Panic. Stay Cool." -- PRZ