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Computer Undergroud Digest Vol. 06 Issue 28
Computer underground Digest Wed Mar 30, 1994 Volume 6 : Issue 28
ISSN 1004-042X
Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET)
Archivist: Brendan Kehoe (He's Baaaack)
Acting Archivist: Stanton McCandlish
Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
Ian Dickinson
Suspercollater: Shrdlu Nooseman
CONTENTS, #6.28 (Mar 30, 1994)
File 1--Downs Down On Clipper
File 2--Reply to "Clipper Paranoia" (CuD #6.26)
File 3--Gov't Regulation of BBSes in Australia
File 4--Hacking (Broken) Hearts
File 5--"Reality Bites" (Superhighway revisited)
File 6--Research on MUDS (MA Thesis)
File 7--Virus Sightings (humor)
File 8--ScratchPad 2.0 (Info source)
File 9--How Clipper Actually Works
Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
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COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 94 17:35:00 -0700
From: walter.scott@HOTLINE.COM(Walter Scott)
Subject: File 1--Downs Down On Clipper
The Clipper Chip proposal from the Clinton Administration --
which would essentially have government broker individual electronic
privacy rights -- is collecting still more opposition. One of the most
recent opponents to Clipper is media icon Hugh Downs. Downs is well
known for his days as a co-host of the Today Show, host of the game
show Concentration, and his current position as co-host of ABC-TV's
20/20. Downs is also a respected advocate for "mature" adults. Downs
delivered his "perspective" as to Clipper on the 03-27-94 edition of
ABC radio's "PERSPECTIVES." In Downs' segment, much cryptography
history -- as it relates to radio -- was explained while Downs laid
the foundation for expression of his opinion on Clipper. The
following text is a direct transcript of Downs' summation:
------------- TRANSCRIPT BEGINS ------------------------
It's not designed to stop criminals from sending encrypted messages
because criminals will always be able to do that. If the NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY puts a spy chip on American computers, then the
criminals will simply avoid the chip and use other computers that
don't spy on them. But, it wouldn't be just criminals who would buy
foreign made computers. Anyone who wants a private life would have to
buy foreign, too. According to John Perry Barlow, who's co-founder and
Vice-chair of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Vice President Gore
says he wants the Clipper Chip installed in all American-made
computers designed for export. Now, you don't have to be a computer
whiz to realize that -- if American computers were forced to have a
spy chip built into them -- then fewer people would buy American
computers.
The computer owes an enormous debt to cryptologists because
cryptologists needed machines to disguise radio messages. The
information highway is certainly as wide open as radio. Indeed, much
of it is already radio. Cellular phones and cellular FAX will quickly
expand to cellular modem and satellite communications. As it is, most
of this information goes out unprotected. The time has arrived for
individuals to have high levels of security. The information
superhighway will eventually contain every scrap of information we
could possibly imagine. And that means there will be all sorts of
unscrupulous people out there trying to hack into our lives.
Information-highwaymen are bad enough when they're fourteen years old.
But now, adults -- who work for the government -- want to play hacker,
too. The Clipper spy chip is bad business for everyone.
Information-highway-safety should be a top priority for all of us.
------------ TRANSCRIPT ENDS --------------------
The Hotline/Seattle ~ (206) 450-0948
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 1994 15:47:00 GMT
From: chris.hind@MAVERICKBBS.COM(Chris Hind)
Subject: File 2--Reply to "Clipper Paranoia" (CuD #6.26)
This is my reply to: shadow@VORTEX.ITHACA.NY.US(bruce edwards)
Subject--Opposing Clipper is "paranoia" with good Reason (Cu Digest,
#6.26)
>Its existence will make no difference at all. The very smart ones
>may use PGP or something else, and again, clipper will be meaningless.
We could easily build it into the net, making it impossible for the
government to stop us. Sound like a good plan?
>Because it will probably prove constitutionally impossible
>to outlaw widespread private encryption -- something big brother finds
>hard to swallow -- the clipper/encryption push seems to me to be about
>another kettle of sharks.
Completely true, encryption cannot be outlawed. The government is
ripping itself off by giving us powerful encryption for personal use.
But for the dark personal secrets, are we really gonna use the clip
chip? Not me! I'll use PGP or something else. Criminals aren't going to
use the chip unless they're really ignorant or blatantly idiotic. So
the government is really spending lots of money to making our lines more
secure from illegal phone tappers and such but not doing a thing for
them. I believe we're getting the better part of the deal! Do they
really want to listen in on phone calls to our relatives? I don't think
so. I promote the Clipper Chip! Thanks for the free gift!
T> In my opinion (and this I am sure is obvious to most everyone) the
>encryption, bugging-port, e-mail reading agenda pursued by government
>is no more than the first icy finger of the Empire, encircling the
>throat of cyberspace.
A little dramatic here? They might win the battle but they haven't won
the war. The final battle will be when we establish a global Interactive
Television system. Then it will pit the public against the US government
and the allies it has in this dispute (if any). Nobody wants a video
camera normally used for video conferencing to be watching them in their
own living room without them even knowing it. By this time, people
will know a lot more about this scheme and most likely the public will
win this battle unless the majority of the population is as ignorant as
a two year old child to the world around them.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 1994 14:35:32 +1000 (EST)
From: Mr Rhys Weatherley <rhys@FIT.QUT.EDU.AU>
Subject: File 3--Gov't Regulation of BBSes in Australia
Well, it's finally on. The Australian government has announced a task force
that is to develop options for regulating BBS'es here in Oz. Attached is
the call for submissions which was posted to the aus.* newsgroups by
Tom Worthington of the Australian Computer Society (ACS). Tom has given me
permission to re-post it here. Comments can be posted to CuD, or sent to
Roger Clarke who is preparing the ACS's submission, or sent to me for
my submission. Roger's e-mail address is roger.clarke@anu.edu.au and mine
is rhys@fit.qut.edu.au.
As odious as the prospect of BBS regulations are, there's not much that can
be done except ensure that the regulations address the concerns of the net
population rather than being railroaded through. I for one am adamant that
any regulations have built-in protections for the network community alongside
any control measures. Maybe we can get the much-needed "common carrier" like
protections if it is worded carefully in the submissions.
I must say that I'm not surprised at this move by the government, given the
recent stories with the usual bogey-men of "computer porn" and "information
about making bombs" that the traditional media have been reporting. Computer
games were recently placed under the Australian censorship scheme, and BBS'es
were the next down the list. *sigh*
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Any ideas, no matter how
radical are welcome: I'll take care of toning them down from the setting
of "foaming-at-the-mouth lunatic" to just plain "lunatic". :-)
Once I have a draft, I'll be sure to post it to CuD for comments before
hitting the Australian government with it. The deadline for submissions is
29 April 1994.
Cheers,
Rhys.
>From: tomw@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au (Tom Worthington)
>Subject--Regulation of computer bulletin boards call for submissions
>Message-ID: <1994Mar21.032645.16795@sserve.cc.adfa.oz.au>
>Summary: Australian Attorney-General investigating BBS regulations
>Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
>Date: Mon, 21 Mar 1994 03:26:45 GMT
ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT
Call for submissions on the regulation of computer bulletin boards
The Attorney-General and the Minister for Communications and the Arts have
established a joint Task Force to develop options for the regulation of
computer bulletin hoards.
SUBMISSIONS
The Task Force invites submissions from members of the public on options
for the regulation of computer bulletin board systems. Submissions may
include comments on the feasibility of a Code of Practice governing the
use of bulletin board systems.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Task Force is to consider alternatives for developing a regulatory
system that would:
* allow bulletin board users, parents and guardians to make informed
entertainment choices for themselves and those in their care: and
* provide adequate protection to children from material that mi~ht be
considered harmful or disturbing.
The Task Force is also to assess whether:
* existing Commonwealth offences covering the misuse of computers and
telecommunications services are adequate to deal with bulletin board
abuse;
* import/export restrictions are capable of controlling the international
trafficking and subsequent copying and distribution of otherwise banned
material;
* State and Territory laws such as those dealing with the misuse of
computers and possession of child pornography are adequate to deal with
bulletin boards;
* current law enforcement powers are adequate to deal with the new
technology; and
* specific offences should be enacted for the use of bulletin boards for
unlawful purposes.
For further information contact the Criminal Law
Branch on (06) 250 6459.
Submissions can he sent to:
Bulletin Boards Taskforce
Criminal Law Branch
Attorney-General's Department
Robert Garran Offices
BARTON ACT 2600
Or via The Internet address:
bbs.taskforce@ag.ausgovag.telememo.au
Or via the X.400 address:
G=BBS,S=Taskforce,O=AG,PRMD=AUSGOVAG,ADMD=TELEMEMO,C=AU
Closing date: The closing date for submissions is Friday 29 April 1994
-------------------
Posted by Tom Worthington <tomw@adfa.oz.au>, Director of the Community
Affairs Board, Australian Computer Society Inc. Fax: +61 6 2496419, as a
public service. Please address enquiries and submissions to the
Taskforce's e-mail address <bbs.taskforce@ag.ausgovag.telememo.au>
21 March 1994
ABOUT THE ACS: The Australian Computer Society is the professional
association in Australia for those in the computing and information
technology fields. Established in 1966, the ACS has over 14,000 members
and on a per capita basis is one of the largest computer societies in the
world. Activities are announced in the Usenet newsgroup "aus.org.acs".
Information is available via e-mail from info@acs.org.au or Gopher at URL:
gopher://acs-gopher.mit.csu.edu.au:1605/11/acs courtesy of Charles Sturt
University.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 1994 19"32:01 EST
From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@mindvox.phanton.com>
Subject: File 4--Hacking (Broken) Hearts
((First The Well's "Cyber-Lothario" and now this--ah, true love
ain't easy))
"Cops Say Love Claims are Off-line"
From: Chicago Tribune, March 25, 1994 (Sect 2, p. 6)
The trail of a computer love bandit who used on-line
services to lure wealthy women into romantic relationships
only to swindle them and break their hearts has ended in
Park Forest (Ill.), police said Thursday.
The article explains that Conrad Grohs, 41, was served with warrants,
including one for bigamy, from three states, after a Pennsylvania
woman reported her suspicions to authorities.
Printouts of correspondence from Groh's computer on-line ruse
tipped her off, Park Forest Detective Patrick Fitzgerald said.
"He was corresponding with a recently divorced woman whose
ex-husband had come into several million dollars,"
Fitzgerald said. "He wanted her to go aftr it. Of course,
he was going to be waiting in the wings to relieve her of
it.
The article adds that Grohs met the Pennsylvania woman through an
electronic BBS. She invited him to stay with her in Park Forest at her
parent's home. He claimed to be writing a book. He was held in Cook
County Jail while authorities continued their investigation.
------------------------------
Date: 27 Mar 94 19:37:25 EST
From: Mr. Badger <mrbadger@ttps.lakes.trenton.sc.us>
Subject: File 5--"Reality Bites" (Superhighway revisited)
((MODERATORS' NOTE: The following comes from CRYPT NEWS LETTER,
available from Urnst Couch at: 70743.1711@COMPUSERVE.COM)).
REALITY BITES, BUT IT BEATS THE HELL OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S
PIPE DREAMS
by Mr. Badger (Andy Lopez), mrbadger@ttps.lakes.trenton.sc.us.
Cracks in the glistening tarmac of the Information Superhighway are
appearing. You wouldn't know it from reading the euphoric delusions
of the techno-journalists, who as a class excel at two things:
swallowing corporate manure and shoveling it into others.
Again, I say ignore the pipe-dreamers with their grand visions of
virtual reality, virtual communities, virtual sex. It's virtual
sewage.
The clash between reality and the Information Superhighway image will
be brutal, but prolonged. Brutal, because reality has all the tact,
diplomacy, and professionalism of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms. Prolonged, because dreams won't die easily and delusions
never surrender.
The ignorant and the stupid will see their crazed leaders speak of
glorious counterattacks even as they are shelled from the west and
looted by the east. When the smoke has cleared, they'll be left with
an empty shell, a fiction so transparent and fake that only
intellectual cripples and those who've thrown away large investments
will still be convinced there's substance to it.
First of this month's flaws in the Information Highway Weltanschauung,
Barron's (March 14, 1994) front page, asks:
"STILL GOING? In all the rhapsodizing about the
telecommunications revolution one fact has been sadly
overlooked: Nobody has come up with a portable battery that
last more than a few hours. For users of laptop PCs and
cellular phones, when will the frustration end?"
The story starts with a couple of anecdotes that illustrate the
obvious problems with batteries: they don't last long enough, it's
inconvenient to carry extras, and battery chargers tie the consumer
back into plug-in power. The story ends with a summary of future
options: pay more, carry heavier batteries, take chances on unproven
technology, and ho-hum brrrr-zzzzzzz. Sorry, if we're not
enthusiastic, but that hardly seems like a solution. Further, it's
not news.
On other fronts, the Economist (February 26, 1994) notes the much
vaunted, state-supported, Japanese high definition television (HDTV)
standard is deader than the albatross in "The Rhyme of the Ancient
Mariner". Now analysts are expecting the newly created American
standard to be adopted by both Europe and Japan. True, the Japanese
standard was analogue, but that hardly explains why, after two years
of HDTV broadcasts, only 20,000 sets have sold. The Economist chalks
that up to the outrageous cost of HDTV units, and ends with a quote
that serves as warning to industrialists betting on a high-tech,
home-based interface to electronic services.
"Will viewers pay big sums simply for sharper pictures? The
jury is out. But the only person better at killing off a
technology than a well-intentioned regulator is a commonsense
consumer."
In other words, don't bet the farm that the information highway is
going to be high-tech, either.
More ominous, Newsweek is starting to doubt. Seeing Newsweek question
the glorious future of all that is digital is like seeing the town
whore filling out correspondence Bible courses from the Church
Universal and Triumphant. You can't help but be impressed at the
change, nor can you resist making mental bets on how long it will last
(not long at all, in this case).
"Sex on the Info Highway" was almost good, but by March 14 the
magazine was back on the trail of digital piffle with "Keeping the
Cybercops out of Cyberspace."
One quote in the "Sex" piece almost earned the Badger seal of
approval, but almost only counts in horseshoes and quoits, which - I
might add - I detest. It read:
"The quality of much cyberporn varies from low to dreadful.
While the idea of electronic dirty talk may seem titillating,
the reality is often pathetic--or worse, boring. A lot of
the time, participants discuss techniques. The tone isn't
all that different from that of computer forums on auto
repair; only the tools vary. Downloading X-rated pictures
takes time and concentration; users need a special program to
translate digital blips into flesh-and-blood tones. Often,
the amateurish results aren't worth the effort. Even many
professionally produced products, such as CD-ROMs, are little
more than dirty movies copied onto a disc. Because CD drives
are slower than VCRs, the viewer sees nothing more than a
series of jerky images."
"Downloading takes . . . concentration . . . " My ass. It's such a
frankly idiotic claim it must have been the product of the
writing-by-committee techniques which makes Newsweek such a wretched
example of contemporary journalism.
However, the rest finally showed some common sense:
1. Computers are an awful medium for pornography, period, and
2. Pornography ain't exactly the most demanding of arts, either.
"Keeping the Cybercops Out of Cyberspace," however, was little more
than a glorified press release for the Clipper encryption chip and the
FBI's Wiretapping proposals.
Starting with an account of how Aldrich Ames, the recently caught spy,
did _not_ use encryption, "Cybercops" went on to point out that
present cryptologic techniques may be uncrackable by government
agencies. It's assessment of the Clipper chip and the Justice
Department proposals that all switching systems accommodate FBI
wiretapping gear:
"Sounds sensible, but the plan has civil-liberties folk in an
uproar."
The article then blithely dismisses privacy advocates with the
fatherly, know-it-all claim:
"The concern is understandable but overblown."
As proof, it offers:
"'Enforcement agencies simply don't have the time to monitor
all these things,' says John O'Leary at the Computer
Security Institute, a public-interest group in San
Francisco. The Feds won't barge through your back door
unless they suspect a crime, and then only with a court
order."
Tell it to Steve Jackson Games and the Branch Davidians in Waco,
brainless sewer rats. It's not particularly surprising, but still
quite dumbfounding, that editors of Newsweek practiced selective
recall of recent history when researching this piece.
It's true that the authorities won't catch everybody, but that's cold
consolation when you're on the ground taking a billyclub to the
kidneys or having all your equipment forfeited during a raid for which
the paperwork will later be declared invalid. And what happened to the
concept that the government ought to keep a jump ahead of enemies by
hard work and sheer brain power? When did we concede that all
evil-doers have de facto technical superiority?
The final insult is the article's assessment of the business costs and
pragmatism of instituting the Clipper chip:
"Few of the more pragmatic critics propose scrapping the
Clipper. Instead they suggest ways of restricting the number
of federal officials who might have access to the master
keys."
How's that Information Superhighway sounding now? Mr. Badger warns of
the dire consequences of letting techno-journalists live. As usual,
we're betrayed by mainstream news organs that subsconsciously believe
the "CO" in community derives from "military industrial COmplex" or
"big COrporation." Merciful use of Pentobarbital Sodium is warranted.
Even People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals won't squeak.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 1994 16:39:49: EST
From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@mindvox.phantom.com>
Subject: File 6--Research on MUDS (MA Thesis)
Elizabeth Reid has completed her MA thesis on MUDS (University of
Melbourne, Dept. of English, 1994), which we recommend to readers
(when it becomes available). Her previous analysis of Inter-Relay Chat
has been widely distributed and excerpted (the original IRC paper is
available on the CuD ftp sites). Her latest work should be valuable
to researchers, journalists, and others, and nicely supplements Julian
Dibbel's recent article on "Rape in Cyberspace."
Ms. Reid's work is valuable for several reasons. Substantively, it
reflects an impressive breadth of substantive and
conceptual/theoretical knowledge that brings together a rich body of
data into a coherent framework. Intellectually, she bridges several
disciplines, especially sociology, communications studies, and
anthropology and ties them together in a sophisticated analysis of
what has become known as "cyber-culture." Thematically, her work is a
significant contribution to scholars internationally, because she
fills a vacuum in our understanding of her chosen topic, MUDS, as well
adds insights into computer-mediated communication.
One theme central to Ms. Reid's work is that of gender power and how
it is created and sustained, even playfully, in MUDS. Emergent new
MUD norms partially mediate conventional gender and other power games,
which may lead some to believe in the potential for a more equal
playing field. As Ms. Reid suggests, this is not necessarily the case.
We will try to make Ms. Reid's work available when it is converted
into ASCII format. Those wanting additional information can contact
her directly at: emr%munagin.ee.mu.oz.au@uunet.uu.net
------------------------------
Date: Sun Mar 6 00:27:57 1994
From: LFARNUM%smtpgate@CHLAIS.USC.EDU
Subject: File 7--Virus Sightings (humor)
We've been having some famous virus sitings here, just as a
response to the folks who have the virus contest.
We're trying to encourage the use of virus scanning software
on PC's...here are
some examples of what we're trying to detect and prevent!
*****
BOBBIT VIRUS: Removes a vital part of your hard disk then
re- attaches it.
(But that part will never work again.)
OPRAH WINFREY VIRUS: Your 200MB hard drive suddenly
shrinks to 80MB, and then
slowly expands back to 200MB.
AT&T VIRUS: Every three minutes it tells you what great
service you are
getting.
MCI VIRUS: Every three minutes it reminds you that you're
paying too much for
the AT&T virus.
PAUL REVERE VIRUS: This revolutionary virus does not horse
around. It warns
you of impending hard disk attack---once if by LAN, twice if
by C:>.
POLITICALLY CORRECT VIRUS: Never calls itself a "virus",
but instead refers to
itself as an "electronic microorganism."
RIGHT TO LIFE VIRUS: Won't allow you to delete a file,
regardless of how old
it is. If you attempt to erase a file, it requires you to first see a
counselor about possible alternatives.
ROSS PEROT VIRUS: Activates every component in your
system, just before the
whole damn thing quits.
MARIO CUOMO VIRUS: It would be a great virus, but it
refuses to run.
TED TURNER VIRUS: Colorizes your monochrome monitor.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER VIRUS: Terminates and stays
resident. It'll be back.
DAN QUAYLE VIRUS: Prevents your system from spawning
any child process without
joining into a binary network.
DAN QUAYLE VIRUS #2: Their is sumthing rong wit your
komputer, ewe jsut cant
figyour out watt!
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST VIRUS: Nothing works, but all
your diagnostic software
says everything is fine.
NEW WORLD ORDER VIRUS: Probably harmless, but it makes
a lot of people really
mad just thinking about it.
FEDERAL BUREAUCRAT VIRUS: Divides your hard disk into
hundreds of little
units, each of which does practically nothing, but all of
which claim to be
the most important part of your computer.
GALLUP VIRUS: Sixty percent of the PCs infected will lose
38 percent of their
data 14 percent of the time. (plus or minus a 3.5 percent
margin of error.)
TERRY RANDLE VIRUS: Prints "Oh no you don't" whenever
you choose "Abort" from
the "Abort" "Retry" "Fail" message.
TEXAS VIRUS: Makes sure that it's bigger than any other file.
ADAM AND EVE VIRUS: Takes a couple of bytes out of your
Apple.
CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS: The computer locks up, screen
splits erratically with a
message appearing on each half blaming the other side for
the problem.
AIRLINE VIRUS: You're in Dallas, but your data is in
Singapore.
FREUDIAN VIRUS: Your computer becomes obsessed with
marrying its own
motherboard.
PBS VIRUS: Your programs stop every few minutes to ask for
money.
ELVIS VIRUS: Your computer gets fat, slow and lazy, then self
destructs; only
to resurface at shopping malls and service stations across
rural America.
OLLIE NORTH VIRUS: Causes your printer to become a paper
shredder.
NIKE VIRUS: Just does it.
SEARS VIRUS: Your data won't appear unless you buy new
cables, power supply
and a set of shocks.
JIMMY HOFFA VIRUS: Your programs can never be found
again.
CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS #2: Runs every program on the hard
drive simultaneously,
but doesn't allow the user to accomplish anything.
KEVORKIAN VIRUS: Helps your computer shut down as an
act of mercy.
IMELDA MARCOS VIRUS: Sings you a song (slightly off key)
on boot up, then
subtracts money from your Quicken account and spends it all
on expensive shoes
it purchases through Prodigy.
STAR TREK VIRUS: Invades your system in places where no
virus has gone before.
HEALTH CARE VIRUS: Tests your system for a day, finds
nothing wrong, and sends
you a bill for $4,500.
GEORGE BUSH VIRUS: It starts by boldly stating, "Read my
docs....No new
files!" on the screen. It proceeds to fill up all the free space
on your hard
drive with new files, then blames it on the Congressional
Virus.
CLEVELAND INDIANS VIRUS: Makes your 486/50 machine
perform like a 286/AT.
LAPD VIRUS: It claims it feels threatened by the other files on
your PC and
erases them in "self defense".
CHICAGO CUBS VIRUS: Your PC makes frequent mistakes
and comes in last in the
reviews, but you still love it.
ORAL ROBERTS VIRUS - Claims that if you don't send it a
million dollars, it's
programmer will take it back.
Use your virus scan. Don't let any of these viruses happen to
your PC!
------------------------------
Date: 15 Mar 94 20:38:45 GMT
From: dbatterson@ATTMAIL.COM(David Batterson)
Subject: File 8--ScratchPad 2.0 (Info source)
((MODERATORS' NOTE: We'll periodically try to include an occasional
piece on new products, software, or other resources that readers might
not otherwise see. We thank David Batterson for his excellent
summaries of some of these products)).
ScratchPad 2.0 Lets Chiropractors Use EOs for Notetaking
by David Batterson
RIVER RIDGE, LOUISIANA--Greycat, Inc. has released ScratchPad 2.0,
the latest version of its chiropractic exam forms software for the
AT&T EO Personal Communicators. Using ScratchPad, the D.C. can
conduct patient exams and take notes--without a bar code system,
desktop PC, or paper and pen.
Since today's healthcare environment has meant an avalanche of
paperwork to manage, most doctors and healthcare professionals are
searching for ways to eliminate much of the paper while finding more
efficient ways to manage patient data. In conjunction with the EO's
PenPoint operating system, ScratchPad turns handwriting or print into
screen text. Also, shorthand notations can be transcribed into full-
length sentences.
With ScratchPad and an EO 440 or 880 Personal Communicator, the
doctor has a hand-held method for managing all SOAP (Subjective
Objective Assessment Plan)/clinic notes. To locate a patient's
folder and review prior visits, the doctor writes in the patient's
last name or identification number, and taps with the pen.
John Gambale, senior design specialist at Greycat, said they are
now working on a new ScratchPad module called a narrative generation
package. This is used "for lawsuits and other legal purposes,"
Gambale said, "where a doctor has to provide a summary of daily
notes." The new module is planned for a "late summer" release,
according to Gambale.
On the back burner is a new ScratchPad for general practitioner
medical doctors. Gambale said they hoped to have it launched by the
end of 1994.
Bart Bishop, D.C., a chiropractor in Whittier, Calif., said that
the ScratchPad system was a real money-saver for his practice.
"Previously," Dr. Bishop said, "I was spending about $4000 a year in
transcriptions. Now I've cut it down to around $1,100 per year."
Dr. Bishop said he does very little handwriting input, relying
mostly on just tapping on boxes with the EO pen. The doctor said he
previously tried the bar code method of note-taking, but said "it
just didn't work out for us. It was too slow to use, and you
couldn't see what you were inputting."
ScratchPad 2.0 costs $1,495. Gambale said that virtually all
customers buy the $350/year support contract, which includes 90-day,
800-number support, and all software upgrades.
For information, contact Greycat, Inc., at 800-828-2250.
###
America Online is Electronic Zone for Many Gays and Lesbians
by David Batterson
VIENNA, VIRGINIA--America Online (AOL), which calls itself "the
nation's fastest growing provider of online services to consumers in
the U.S.," has succeeded in marketing to one particular niche
market: gay and lesbian computer users.
While AOL doesn't yet have gay publications online, there are
many articles that cover the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender
community. Those are located in the Gay and Lesbian Community Forum
(GLCF) Resource Files, as well as in online publications like the San
Jose Mercury News, Chicago Tribune, The New Republic and USA TODAY.
AOL has a staff of over 50 in the GLCF. There are many
community conferences and events, guest speakers, support groups,
media groups (GLADD, NGLTF, NGLJA, etc.), as well as a file library
of thousands of informational and graphics files.
Besides the GLCF, there are other areas on AOL where there are
gay/lesbian topics, discussions, networking and information. For
example, under the Learning & Reference section [keyword: EDUCATION],
there are folders labeled Gay and Lesbian Youth. Under the Better
Health & Medical Forum [keyword: HEALTH], users find folders labeled
AIDS Support Group and Message Center.
Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen now owns 25 percent of the
company's stock. AOL continues to expand both membership and
services; it now claims more than 650,000 members.
AOL's monthly rate is $9.95 for the first five hours of online
usage; additional time is billed at $3.50 per hour. There's no
surcharge for prime time and 9600-bps access. AOL offers a freetrial
membership that includes free software (DOS, Windows or Macintosh)
and 10 hours of online time. Info: 800-827-6364.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 94 13:24:38 PST
From: dave@PCE1.HAC.COM(Dave Fandel)
Subject: File 9--How Clipper Actually Works
In all the anti-Clipper flaming that has been occuring I haven't
seen anything about how Clipper actually works. I generated the
following based on a lecture in a secure computer systems class I
am taking.
+----------------------------------------------------
Clipper Operations:
Chip
+----------------+
| |
Message (M) -->| Algorithm (E) |--> Encrypted Message (B) = E [M]
| Chip ID (ID) | K
| Chip Key (U) |
User Key (K) -->| Family Key (F) |--> Encrypted ID and Key (A) =
| | E [ID | E [K]]
+----------------+ F U
Note: E [Q] means Encrypt Q with key R
R
+-----------------------------------------------------------
The User Key is a session key that is generated by the two ends
in the following manner:
Side A Side B
Generate a, X Generate Y a, X and Y are random #
Send a and a^X ------>
Receive a and a^X
<------ Send a^Y
Receive a^Y
Generate K=(a^Y)^X Generate K=(a^X)^Y ie key K=a^(XY)
So a, a^X, and a^Y can all be intercepted without giving away key.
+----------------------------------------------------------------
So where does the government and the Key Escrow come into it? Note the
2nd output from the clipper chip - it is the ID of the chip and an
encrypted version of the session key. The government will know the
family key and can extract the ID. Then they go to the two escrow
agencies (NIST and the Treasury Dept.) and get the two components of
the chip key U. This allows the session key to be extracted and the
message to be decrypted.
Agency 1: ID and U(A) U(A) --+
OR --> U
Agency 2: ID and U(B) U(B) --+
+------------------------------------------------------
General comments:
1. The Algorithm for the clipper chip is an NSA Type II algorithm
called Skipjack. Type II is for unclassified, but sensitive.
2. If you could reprogram the Chip Key (U) or block the transmission
of the encrypted ID and key this concept wouldn't be to bad.
3. The other point of vulnerability is at the manufacturing location
where the Chip Key is originally generated. All 3 pieces of info
(ID, U(A), and U(B)) have to be in the same place to generate the
key.
Dave Fandel
dave@pce2.hac.com
3/30/94
If there is anything incorrect in this document please let me know.
------------------------------
End of Computer Underground Digest #6.28
************************************
