🚀 go-pugleaf

mjr@hussar.dco.dec.com (Marcus J. "Will do TCP/IP for clues" Ranum) writes:

>>4)  The nature of encrypted data renders proof of criminal activity difficult.
>>    How do you prove in court that a chunk of data is a message rather than
>>    random noise [...]

>	A more interesting twist to this problem is:

>	How do you prove in court that the chunk of data is a message/evidence
>	of illegal activity, without either a) expecting a jury will just
>	take your word for it, or b) demonstrating that you can break the
>	encryption?

The problem is that the US government is trying to make it illegal to
do encryption at all. This means that the fact that the message is unreadable
is evidence to the "fact" that you are committing a crime (i.e. encrypting
messages)

This means that the only thing you could do is say hey, this is just a 
loveletter, the algorithm is this and the key is that. This is a proof 
reversal that's not a good idea in my opinion.

						Roger.


-- 
****   a 486 in V86 mode is like a VW buggy with a 6 litre V12 motor.  ****
EMail:  wolff@duteca.et.tudelft.nl   ** Tel  +31-15-783644 or +31-15-142371