Re: extortion via digital cash

[Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org>]

On Tue, 15 Oct 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

> At 11:01 PM -0400 10/15/96, Rabid Wombat wrote:
> 
> >Also - in order to communicate back to the perpetrator, the victim needs
> >to communicate to the first step in the chain. The operator of that chain
> 
> BlackNet-type pools eliminate the chain. There is no "first step in the
> chain," only a message pool or Usenet group which is propagated to tens of
> thousands of sites around the world (and even available via one's satellite
> dish and local cable, a la DirectPC, @Home, etc.).

Yes, a large and widely distributed message pool would seem to be a way 
around this ...

> 
> 
> >and abetting a crime is another. What's to keep the authorities from
> >following the trail of crubs back to the perpetrator, other than the
> >usual threats of "don't call the cops" and "you have 24 hours to respond?"
> >A few hops through some generally uncooperative jurisdictions might do,
> >but perhaps El Dictator of Little Bannana Republic might just decide to
> >hold the perpetrator's "payment" hostage ...
> 
> Remailers, message pools, and untraceable cash are much more robust against
> these sorts of attacks than you are portraying here.

Yes, I suppose the actual transmission would be robust, if no mistakes 
were made. As you pointed out - if you can make the first hop secure (or 
any hop, for that matter).

The only problem is that you're the only one turning up w/ 
a sudden large ecash sumin the Cayman Islands (and that "clue" won't be 
there with wider use of ecash ...).
 

> 
> >
> >Sounds like the making of a good movie script. Can we get Tom Cruise and
> >one of those Thinking Machines laptops??  ;)
> 
> Hollywood is too naive. I was interviewed by a screenwriter who came to a
> Cypherpunks meeting, circa early 1994. She took copious notes and seemed
> very interested in these sorts of things. From the plot she was tentatively
> working on, I think the eventual outcome was "The Net," but it's possible
> her script never got made, or was used for background, or whatever. In any
> case, "The Net" (and "Hackers") had essentially nothing very sophisticated
> in it.

Perhaps we should write our own script. Can we get Attila to play "El 
Dictator"?  


-r.w.

 :)