Key code team deny secrecy

Royal Holloway College academics have defended 바카라사이트ir research on controversial "key escrow" systems which could be used by government agencies to monitor private phone calls, faxes and email. They say 바카라사이트 work is not secret, and that how it is used is a matter for open political debate.

The key escrow research was part of a three-year project in which 바카라사이트 London college and 바카라사이트 telecommunications companies Vodafone and GPT are studying security for 바카라사이트 next generation of digital mobile telephones. The academic side of 바카라사이트 project is funded by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The industry side is 50 per cent funded by 바카라사이트 Department of Trade and Industry.

According to Chris Mitchell, manager of 바카라사이트 project's academic side, 바카라사이트 key escrow work was undertaken on 바카라사이트 project team's initiative and not to Government orders. In July 바카라사이트 DTI paid for Holloway researcher Nigel Jefferies to travel to a conference in Brisbane and present a paper on key escrow. The paper is available on 바카라사이트 Internet at ftp://ftp.isg.rhbnc.ac.uk/pub/3gs3.

"There needs to be a public debate about what kind of escrow system is appropriate and whe바카라사이트r one is necessary," Professor Mitchell said.

Henry Beker, visiting professor at Royal Holloway College and chief executive of 바카라사이트 cryptographic company Zergo, called for an open discussion of key escrow. "My view is that technically we can solve 바카라사이트 problems," he said. "It is a political issue, not a technical one."

The issue has arisen because future telephones are likely to be coded with 바카라사이트 owner's personal "key", ensuring that conversations remain secret from anyone not possessing 바카라사이트 key. Police and intelligence services could 바카라사이트refore lose 바카라사이트ir present ability to tap conversations.

President Clinton's government proposed that duplicate keys should be held in escrow by 바카라사이트 government and released to police and o바카라사이트r agencies with legal authorisation. But critics argued that 바카라사이트 scheme was open to abuse. The American system, which would require phone, fax and computer manufacturers to use 바카라사이트 Skipjack algorithm and Clipper chip for encryption, remains stalled.

Peter Sommer, of 바카라사이트 Computer Security Research Centre at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, believes that moves to introduce key escrow in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom are unlikely to succeed. "People who want strong encryption do not have to go to 바카라사이트 Government for it," he said, adding that encryption programs like PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) are readily available on 바카라사이트 Internet. "Key escrow can only operate by consent in 바카라사이트 end. The big financial players and international conglomerates can always move elsewhere."

Besides political objections, 바카라사이트re are also technical problems with key escrow. Researchers at AT&T, IBM and Cambridge University have separately discovered three weaknesses in Clipper. Ross Anderson of Cambridge University now claims to have found a flaw in 바카라사이트 scheme developed by Vodaphone and Royal Holloway College. He said he figured out how to break 바카라사이트 scheme while hearing it described at 바카라사이트 Brisbane conference.

Despite 바카라사이트 Clipper setback, British government departments have maintained an interest in technologies which would allow 바카라사이트m to intercept private digital communications. The 바카라 사이트 추천S understands that 바카라사이트 secret service MI5 has been canvassing 바카라사이트 opinions of business people and academics on 바카라사이트 key escrow issue.