Re: CYPHERPUNKS TO THE RESCUE

[Aron Freed <s009amf@discover.wright.edu>]

On Mon, 25 Jul 1994, Sandy Sandfort wrote:

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>                          SANDY SANDFORT
>  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
> 
> C'punks,
> 
> On the noon news in San Francisco, there was an item of crypto
> interest.  It was about something I think they called the "Code
> Grabber."  It is a device which receives and records the coded
> RF signals used to remotely unlock car and garage doors.
> 
> The hand-held unit is a little larger than a paperback book.  It
> has a half dozen switches on it.  After you intercept someone's
> code, you can play it back anytime to control that person's car
> lock or garage door.  It's kind of like a TV universal remote.
> 
> Some politicos have already started talking about banning it, but
> I think just the publicity will guarantee a healthy black market
> in such devices.  The public will be clamoring for a solution.
> Enter the Cypherpunks.
> 
> How can this nifty burglary tool be outsmarted?  How about a
> replacement system that uses strong crypto?  The Code Grabber
> represents a great opportunity for an inventive Cypherpunk to
> make some money AND promote crypto awareness.
> 
> The questions are:  Could standard auto and garage door openers
> easily be retrofitted?  Could a "crypto remote" with its own CPU
> be made small enough to fit into a hand-held unit?  Could such a
> system be made for a reasonable cost?
> 
> 
>  S a n d y
> 
> P.S.  I bet there are some other interesting uses to which such a
>       device could put.  Any ideas?
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sandy, 
  
 When I saw that commercial for the remote control deal with the minivan 
and that nice big luxury car I thought about someone being able to 
figurethe frequency and be able to open that door and start the engine. 
Makes you think about getting one of those systems for your car. And, I'm 
sure if someone can come up with a way to encrypt those cars, they could 
make some money. The only thing is you have to hope the person who makes 
it doesn't put a back door in the crypto and that car manufacturers won't 
try and do the Clipper Stunt themselves (ie. they put in a back door)...

Aaron


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