Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!clyde!cbatt!ukma!ukecc!vnend From: vnend@ukecc.UUCP (D. W. James) Newsgroups: sci.crypt Subject: Re: This is *stupid* Message-ID: <870@ukecc.UUCP> Date: Thu, 4-Dec-86 20:09:22 EST Article-I.D.: ukecc.870 Posted: Thu Dec 4 20:09:22 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Dec-86 20:51:25 EST References: <12246@watnot.UUCP> Reply-To: vnend@ukecc.UUCP (D. W. James) Distribution: net Organization: Univ. of KY Engineering Computing Center Lines: 27 Summary: But I thought... In article <12246@watnot.UUCP> ccplumb@watnot.UUCP (Colin Plumb) writes: >The following is excerpted from the January, 1987 issue of >_Radio-Electronics_, and as an example of the U.S. government's >bass-ackward approach to secrecy, I feel this is almost unparalelled. > >--- Excerpt begins --- > > _Videocipher_II_ is protected by numerous U.S. laws. It uses the >DES encryption system that, until April 22, 1987, may be protected >from unauthorized busting by the National Security Agency. NSA is >responsible for the security and integrity of the DES code, and uses >it to transmit less-than-top-secret messages to military and embassy >locations world-wide. In the M/A-Com view, anyone who tampers with >DES or attempts to profit from decoding it is guilty of treason >against the U.S. government. Obviously, charges of treason are not to >be taken lightly. Just a question (point?). I thought that charges of treason were only valid during wartime and that during peacetime some other charge (whose name escapes me) applies. Anybody out there clear on this point? -- ******************************************************************************* Later y'all, Vnend Ignorance is the Mother of Adventure. **UUCP:cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!vnend; CSNET:vnend@ecc.engr.uky.csnet** ************BITNET:cn0001dj@ukcc.BITNET (but only as a last resort)************