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From: rogue@ccs.northeastern.edu (Free Radical)
Subject: Re: Clipper considered harmful [Restated and amplified]
Message-ID: <1993Apr25.025459.12837@random.ccs.northeastern.edu>
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References: <15583@optilink.COM> <strnlghtC602KA.IFD@netcom.com> <1rcboi$j4a@access.digex.net>
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Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1993 02:54:59 GMT
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In article <1rcboi$j4a@access.digex.net> steve-b@access.digex.com
(Steve Brinich) writes: 
[...]
>  FEDS: We need the keys to Joe Blow's phone.
>
>  ESCROW AGENT: Joe Blow?  You have a warrant to tap his line?
>
>  FEDS: Well, no, but we have a warrant to tap Carlos "Slime-Devil" Gonzales'
>     line, and our tap shows that Mr. Gonzales is using Mr. Blow's phone.
>
>  ESCROW AGENT: Well, OK....

No no no no no no no.

It will go like this:

FEDS: We need the key to phone 334RE67D99.

ESCROW: You have a warrant to tap the line phone 334RE67D99 is on?

FEDS: Yes.

ESCROW: Fine, here is our key.

What happens is, Feds tap a line; find Clipper is being used; extract
serial number; get key; decipher convo.  The serial number is never
registered to a specific owner, it is _sent_ as part of the
conversation.  If I give you my Clipper phone, you do not need to
re-register it (mainly because it was never 'registered' to me in the
first place).

There are a lot of things that bother me about Clipper, but this is
not one of them.  Let's get our facts straight and not waste effort
demolishing straw men.

	RA

rogue@cs.neu.edu (Rogue Agent/SoD!)
-----------------------------------
The NSA is now funding research not only in cryptography, but in all areas
of advanced mathematics. If you'd like a circular describing these new
research opportunities, just pick up your phone, call your mother, and
ask for one.
