Re: Markoff in NYT on NTT/RSA chip

[jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>]

At 03:46 AM 6/5/96 +0000, jonathon wrote:
>	paul:
>
>On Tue, 4 Jun 1996, Paul Robichaux wrote:
>> the NTT chipset for use, say, in a Motorola cell switch (made in IL) would
>> seem to be problematic. Buying chips in Japan for shipment to Moto's phone
>> factories in Singapore and Malaysia, however, would appear to be OK. Under
>
>	So the companies simply ship their _entire_ production 
>	facility offshore, to whichever country has no crypto 
>	export regulations.
>
>	<< Any guesses on just how long ITAR stays around, once
>	several companies announce they are terminating the employment
>	of 1000+ people, for work overseas, because of ITAR?  >> 
>
>	And doing all of their manufacturing offshore means they could
>	use Triple-DES, or BlowFish, or any other crypto algorithm.

I seem to recall an announcement recently that Senator Burns is going to 
have a hearing "soon" on his crypto bill.  If that's true, I think it would 
make a good publicity scene if somebody (if possible someone giving 
testimony) were to show up with one of these NTT encryption chips, wave it 
around a bit, and say "I can bring this chip into the country, why can't I 
take it out again?"

Even if you can't get ahold of the real chip, any multi-pin bug will 
probably do for the sound/video-bite.


Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com