solving the wrong problem

[Peter Gutmann]

Peter Fairbrother <zenadsl6186 at zen.co.uk> writes:
>Perry E. Metzger wrote:
>> Frequently, scientists who know nothing about security come up with
>> ingenious ways to solve non-existent problems. Take this, for example:
>>
>> http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=00049DB6-ED96-12E7-AD9
>> 683414B7F0000
>>
>> Basically, some clever folks have found a way to "fingerprint" the
>> fiber pattern in a particular piece of paper so that they know they
>> have a particular piece of paper on hand.
>
>Didn't the people who did US/USSR nuclear arms verification do something
>very similar, except the characterised surface was sparkles in plastic
>painted on the missile rather than paper?

Yes.  The intent was that forging the fingerprint on a warhead should cost as
much or more than the warhead itself.

Then the Soviet Union collapsed, and the unforgeable fingerprints were
replaced by magic markers, which were cheaper to manage.

Peter.


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