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1984-07-17
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131 lines
John Iovine
39 Seneca Loop
Staten Island NY 10314
(718) 983-1448
Addendum for data encryption article.
Recent Events
My original article had been written close to a year ago,
some interesting tidbits of information has come across my desk
since then.
On Feb. 4 1994 the U.S. government endorsed the Clipper
chip. This directs the Commerce Department's National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Treasury Department to
hold in escrow the keys used to unlock the Clipper codes. It also
establishes new procedures for exporting products using Clipper
to most countries.
In addition the government has formed an interagency group
who's job it is to develop encryption technologies that could
serve as alternates to Clipper.
The Clipper endorsement contains three flaws according to a
policy paper released in Jan. 94 by the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers: a classified algorithm, the key escrow
system and an encryption standard developed for public use
without public scrutiny.
The Clipper chip has developed main industrial and
congressional opponents. So far, Novell, AT&T, Citicorp, Computer
Associates, Hughes Aircraft, Motorola and other major
corporations openly opposed the Clipper encryption standard. The
failure of the Clinton Administration lies in the fact that it
did not seek greater industry participation before proposing the
Clipper chip. Further, they then ignored protests from industry
and congress and when straight ahead to endorsing it.
The Big Brother Issue
The Clipper chip can provide government agencies with
unprecedented wire tapping ability.
Ideally the Clipper Chip encrypts (scrambles) communication
to everyone except the intended recipient. The key code to
unscramble communication is held by two separate government
agencies. The government has the option of using a joining the
key code to unscramble communication with legal authorization.
However there is a strong possibility that a trap door
exists in the Clipper Chip that will allow agencies unauthorized
tapping. The government wouldn't allow the algorithm used in the
Clipper, "Skipjack", to be studied publicly so no one knows for
sure.
When the Clinton Administration endorsed the Clipper as a
Federal Data Processing Standard on Feb. 4 it was backed up with
an immediate order for 50,000 Clipper Chips. This is an attempt
to manipulate the data encryption market. Mass production will
reduce the price of the chip. While a forced export embargo keeps
all other encryption schemes expensive. Remember Clipper is being
approved for export. U.S. manufacturers must "dumb down" their
data encryption programs keep the key lengths to 40 bits or less
for export. (Clipper uses an 80 bit key code.) This is costing
U.S. companies European market share.