Warning: AT&T Putting NSA Wiretap Chips in "Secure" Phone System ?

Edwards Finance > Phones

Q. The Second Amendment controversy is a matter of interpretation, which may undergo changes, but don't bet on its repeal. As far as the Clipper Chip, don't forget that it has been under development for at least FOUR years, and the contracts for its manufacture were let over a year ago. And just what great fan of the Bill of Rights was in charge during that time?

A. so do it! But the clipper chip fails to meet even minimal cryptography practices. Build a TSD (telephone security device) that DOES! Well, I have NEVER previously seen a White House statement that said Americans MAY NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WHICH CAN NOT BE INTERCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT. And the White House Clipper statement said just that! It didn't say we didn't. But it EXPLICITLY didn't say we did. Check it out. BTW ... the public is not going to have a lot of confidence in this and the tying of this to the issue of Big Brother is going to be a big headache for your employer. I hope your compensation is not tied to actual sales of these units. Dorothy Denning is quite notorious in the crypt community as an apologist for giving the govenment the right to read your mail ... I notice you didn't post any of the annotated versions of this document found in sci.crypt. That, however, requires a valid warrant (tap at telco). I also believe they're more concerned about end to end encryption rather than handset to cradle and/or phone to telco precisely because of that ability. Hence the timing of the chip. Once they get it established they can start cracking down on and cease approving other encryption methods. After all, only drug dealers, child pornographers, civil libertarians, and other scum could possibly want encryption the government can't listen to. Is there anyone who actually thinks they can keep those two keys secure? It should perform one significant purpose, however -- make local police far more dependent on the feds, which fits neatly with Clinton's National Police Force wishes. It's even possible that this is all a confusion issue; your post suggests that Clipper is intended as principally for use in export- market devices, to be an automatically-approved encryption method so as to avoid the ITARS restrictions. If this is indeed the case, then all I can say is that whoever put together the "official" announcements is an imbecile: they failed to clearly explain this, and between the recent FBI proposals for "tap access" to electronic telephone equipment and the current administration's increasing disregard for individual rights could have anticipated this outcry with even a moment's thought.

Ask Edwards a Finance Question

Other Questions:

TSC Automated Phone System Question ?

I submitted my k-1 application to the TSC in February and received the NOA on Feb 14. (which stated, like most of us, a processing time of 30-40 days) I've called several times to find out the status from the automated system. I keep getting...

Telephone Preference Service - the telephone equivalent of the Mailing Preference Service - stopping unwanted and unsolicited sales calls etc... Has anyone been on this service long enough to know if it works? I saw it mentioned in th...

I have a small business with total of three staff who need to use the phone needing two lines. What equipment do I need, where do I get it and if I expand willit cope with an extra line and an extra telephone.Take a look at something like the Pan...

I am looking at various PBXs, the Panasonic (which many people seem to use) BBS Telecom Home/Business 2x7 (FX207) And to some extent the JDS Stargate, which if I understand it correctly, has some (limited) PBX features ? Any opinions,...

I am looking for a new phone system for self installation (both of us that are installing it have good datacom backgrounds, cabling backgrounds, and OK phone system backgrounds, and are good at reading documentation).Fiber is a must. Depending on...

Edwards Finance Menu

Ask a Question
About Us / Me
Contact Me
Privacy Policy

Sitemap

My Favorite Sites

PFBlog
Google Finance
Yahoo Finance
Motley Fool
Nveille's Financial Blog
AllFinanceMatters
Free Money Finance
2MillionBlog
The Terror Finance blog

Q&A Subjects