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Article View: sci.electronics
Article #1357

Re: encrypted phones

#1357
From: David Lesher
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1989 22:59
43 lines
2390 bytes
> Article <33@flash.UUCP> From: bill@flash.UUCP (William Swan)

# 
# What is the STU-III encryption scheme?
# 
# Why is it a {gem, dog}?
Keeping this to my opinions and what has already 
been in the Wash. Post:

I have no idea what the scheme is. It involves digitizing the
audio, according to some key that changes automatically. You
get a 'key' to start it. It is really a rom. First you call
in somebody who activates the phone via a master 'key'. Then
when you call J. Blow, the LCD identifies {s/h/it} and the
lower of both of your key clearance levels. Then they squawk
some more, and they agree on a code-of-the-minute.
(About once a month, it forgets, and the guy with the 
master key comes back again and casts a new spell on it.)
Then you talk. Sometimes you can even understand the other
party. 

If not, you hang up and write a cable instead. It must
BE IN UPPER CASE ONLY BECAUSE THE USG CABLE SYSTEM STILL HAS
(i kid you not) SOME BAUDOT TERMINALS. DONT USE ANY SPECIAL
CHARACTERS SUCH AS !@#$%^&*() OR YOU WILL GET IT BACK, UNSENT.

The STU III replaces the KY-71, aka STU II (don't even think
about its predecesser, the '5') which was 4 wire or
alternately, half-duplex. It dialed two pstn truncks at once! 
I liked them-you could even UNDERSTAND people;-}

The real driving force of the STU III program was to put those
contractor conversations that are presently 'in the clear'
under SOME form of encryption. I guess, later on, after the
costs went thru the Van Allen belt, that those folks we can't
talk about decided they were a good idea for the -71 folks,
too. That way, RCA, ATT, and Galvin Manufacturing could sell
more of them.

Enough of this. Everything I say is a lie, anyhow, to confuse
you, and the {other} Bad Guys.
Flash! Murphy gets look and feel copyright on sendmail.cf
  {gatech!} wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (305) 255-RTFM
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!umigw!ibiza!dl
From: dl@ibiza.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: encrypted phones
Message-ID: <732@umigw.MIAMI.EDU>
Date: 29 Aug 89 22:59:29 GMT
References: <CMM.0.88.620075522.yj1@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu> <721@umigw.MIAMI.EDU> <33@flash.UUCP>
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