Ozzie on Notes Crater

[nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)]

Ozzie Outlines New Feature At RSA Data Security
Conference

San Francisco, Jan. 17 -- Ray Ozzie, president of Iris
Associates, the developer of Lotus Notes, informed an
audience at the RSA Data Security Conference here today
that Notes Release 4, which began shipping this month,
utilizes a new method of security called "differential
workfactor cryptography." This new method allows the
International Edition of Notes to use an encryption key
equal in strength to the 64-bit key in the North American
Edition, without the use of "key escrow" technologies.

Ozzie explained that in the International Edition of
Lotus Notes Release 4, whenever an encrypted 64-bit bulk
data key is generated by the product, it is bound to a
"workfactor reduction field," giving the U.S. government
exclusive access to 24 of the 64 bits.  When using the
North American Edition of Lotus Notes within the U.S. and
Canada, however, full 64-bit encryption is employed
without the "workfactor reduction field."  The two
editions of Notes are fully interoperable.

"We are very pleased to have arrived at a pragmatic
short-term solution that addresses our international
customers' requests for greater security within Notes,"
Ozzie said.  "However, we continue to argue vigorously
that, due to clear and present threats to our global
information systems, all interests would be well served
by widespread use of strong, high-grade cryptography. 
Without substantial rethinking of U.S. cryptography
policy, particularly as it pertains to export controls,
our global and national economic security is at risk."