Re: New Computer Security Act

[Bill Frantz <frantz@netcom.com>]

At 7:04 PM -0700 9/17/97, John Young wrote:
>The Computer Security Enhancement Act of 1997 (HR1903)
>is intended to replace the Computer Security Act of 1987.
>It redefines the role of NIST in meeting federal computer security
>and encryption requirements through cooperation of industry.
>Public use of encryption is also addressed in the bill.
>
>Two lengthy reports on the bill have been issued recently, both
>of which provide overviews of the current encryption debate.
>
>House Report 105-243, published on September 3, provides a
>detailed analysis of the bill, hearings held, floor remarks and
>mark-ups since introduction:
>
>   http://jya.com/hr105-243.txt  (115K)
>
>And one published today includes recent floor remarks on
>encryption, mostly supportive of public use:
>
>   http://jya.com/hr1903-floor.htm  (44K)
>
>One point of contention is the evaluation of foreign encryption.
>The original bill put that responsibility on NIST, but the latest version
>deleted that and leaves the task to BXA (and unnamed others).
>Moreover, there's dispute over committee jurisdiction for other
>provisions.

It seems that the GAK crowd doesn't want a credible evaluation of foreign
encryption to interfere with their dream that only the US can make
encryption products.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz       | Internal surveillance      | Periwinkle -- Consulting
(408)356-8506     | helped make the USSR the   | 16345 Englewood Ave.
frantz@netcom.com | nation it is today.        | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA