[Cryptography] On 40-bit encryption

[Bear]

On Wed, 2014-08-20 at 21:49 -0400, Jerry Leichter wrote:

> Oh, but you could check.  Someone form Iran or North Korea trying to
> download the strong build would be required to set the Evil bit on all
> their packets.

Actually, I think the crypto export security theatre was probably 
responsible for teaching a huge swathe of the general public what
proxies were and how to use them, who otherwise would never have 
bothered.

Because, after all, the procedure for anyone outside the US to 
download the 'strong' encryption version of any US product, during 
that era, was to go through any proxy server that happened to be 
located in the US. 

Anyway, it was nuts.  It was a US law that cut the profitability 
of US companies by a noticeable percentage, and simultaneously 
gave foreign companies an advantage in fielding cryptography 
products (and therefore in doing cryptography research and 
acquiring cryptography expertise) - at a time when cryptography 
was recognized to be important to US defense.  Simultaneously, 
foreign citizens were given a free object lesson in the use of 
proxies, acquiring yet more skills that the US would probably 
have preferred not to be so widespread.  So, yes, the US 
was shooting itself in the foot as far as policy is concerned.  

			Bear