Computer underground Digest    Sun  Jul 23, 1995   Volume 7 : Issue 62
                          ISSN  1004-042X

      Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer ([email protected]
      Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
      Shadow Master: Stanton McCandlish
      Field Agent Extraordinaire:   David Smith
      Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
                         Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
                         Ian Dickinson

CONTENTS, #7.62 (Sun, Jul 23, 1995)

File 1--Cincinnati BBS Raids Indictment
File 2--Kyl and Leahy to Introduce Anti-Hacker Bill
File 3--Computer Porn Conviction: New Thought Control (fwd)
File 4--"Computer Privacy Handbook" by Bacard
File 5--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 19 Apr, 1995)

CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION APPEARS IN
THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 09:23:01 PDT
From: Paul J. Ste. Marie <[email protected]>
Subject: File 1--Cincinnati BBS Raids Indictment

((MODERATORS' NOTE: The Cincinnati BBS raids strike us a witch hunts.
The following document gives us no reason to change our minds.  The
raids seem consistent with the current mood of some prosecutors,
politicians, and others, to ride the "anti-porn" hysteria).

                                                          0024573
                                                        Plaintiff


                  UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                   SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
                        WESTERN DIVISION


BOB EMERSON
d/b/a,   Cincinnati   Computer                        CASE    NO.
Connection,
4466 Dogwood Drive
Batavia, Ohio 45103,

               Plaintiff,

     vs.



SIMON L. LEIS, JR.
Hamilton County Justice Center
1000 Sycamore
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

HAMILTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S
DEPARTMENT                             COMPLAINT AND
Hamilton County Justice Center           JURY DEMAND
1000 Sycamore
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

HAMILTON COUNTY REGIONAL
COMPUTER CRIMES TASK FORCE
Hamilton County Justice Center
1000 Sycamore
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

UNION TOWNSHIP POLICE
DEPARTMENT, A Division Of The
Public Safety Department Of Union
Township, Ohio
4312 Gleneste-Withamsville Road
Cincinnati, Ohio  45245

CINCINNATI POLICE
DEPARTMENT, A Division Of The
Public Safety Department Of The
City Of Cincinnati
c/o Division 5
1012 Ludlow Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

MICHAEL BURNS
4312 Gleneste-Withamsville Road
Cincinnati, Ohio  45245

MICHAEL SNOWDEN
c/o Division 5
1012 Ludlow Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

DALE MENKAUS
Hamilton County Justice Center
1000 Sycamore
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

DETECTIVE SWISSHELM
Hamilton County Justice Center
1000 Sycamore
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

JANE/JOHN DOES
Law Enforcement Officers
Addresses Currently Unknown

                    Defendants.



      Now comes plaintiff, Bob Emerson, d/b/a Cincinnati Computer
Connection  who for its complaint against defendants,  states  as
follows



                     PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

   1.        This is an action under the laws and Constitution of
        the  United States alleging that state law enforcement  officials
        from  various  jurisdictions in Southwest Ohio and  Northern  Ken
        tucky  acting  in concert as part of a "Regional Computer  Crimes
        Task  Force,"  unlawfully and unconstitutionally seized  computer
        equipment, files, and communications in furtherance of a campaign
        to  impose a prior restraint on the computer transmission of non-
        obscene   adult   oriented  forms  of  expression   presumptively
        protected   by   the  First  Amendment  to  the   United   States
        Constitution.



                          JURISDICTION

     1.        Jurisdiction is conferred upon this Court by 18 U.S.C.
        2707,  28  U.S.C.  1331, 28 U.S.C.  1343, 28 U.S.C.   2201,  28
        U.S.C.   2202,  42  U.S.C.   1983,  42  U.S.C.   1985,  42  U.S.C
        1988, and 42 U.S.C.  2000aa.

     2.        This is a suit authorized by law to redress
        deprivations under color of state law of rights, privileges, and
        immunities secured by the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments
        to the United States Constitution, the First Amendment Privacy
        Protection Act, and Title II of the Electronic Communications
        Privacy Act.

     3.        Venue in this Court is appropriate as the various acts
        complained of occurred within the Western Division of the
        Southern District of Ohio.


                            PARTIES

     4.        Plaintiff Bob Emerson, an individual who resides at
        4466 Dogwood Drive, Batavia, Ohio 45103, owns and operates a for-
        profit  electronic  computer  bulletin  board  system  known   as
        Cincinnati Computer Connection (hereinafter "CCC").

     5.        Defendant, Simon L. Leis, Jr., is and was at all times
        referred to herein the Sheriff of Hamilton County, Ohio.  He is
        sued in both his personal and official capacities.

     6.        Defendant, Hamilton County Sheriff's Department, is a
        sheriff's department organized under the laws of the State of
        Ohio.

     7.        Defendant, Hamilton County Regional Computer Crimes
        Task Force, is a branch of the Hamilton County Sheriff's
        Department organized under the laws of the State of Ohio to
        utilize special skills and expertise in investigating computer
        crimes.

     8.        Defendant, Union Township Police Department, is a
        division of the Public Safety Department of Union Township Ohio,
        organized under the laws of the State of Ohio.

     9.        Defendant, Cincinnati Police Department, is a division
        of the Public Safety Department of the City of Cincinnati,
        organized under the laws of the State of Ohio.

    10.       Defendant, Michael Burns, is and was at all times
        referred to herein the Acting Chief of the Union Township Police
        Department in Clermont County, Ohio.  He is sued in both his
        personal and official capacities.

    11.       Defendant, Michael Snowden, is and was at all times
        referred to herein the Chief of the Cincinnati Police Department.
        He is sued in both his personal and official capacities.

    12.       Defendant, Dale Menkaus, is and was at all times
        referred to herein the Commander of the Regional Computer Crimes
        Task Force.  He is sued in both his personal and official
        capacities.

    13.       Defendant, Detective Swisshelm, is and was at all times
        referred to herein a member of the Regional Computer Crimes Task
        Force.  He is sued in both his personal and official capacities.

    14.       Jane/John Doe, are individuals from the Regional
        Computer Crimes Task Force and/or other police departments from
        various jurisdictions whose names are currently unknown whom
        plaintiff believes conspired with defendants and participated in
        the acts against plaintiff complained of herein.  Such
        individuals are sued in both their personal and official
        capacities.


                     STATEMENT OF THE CASE

     15.       A computer bulletin board system, like CCC, stores
        information  in  a  central computer and  allows  subscribers  to
        access that information via telephone lines and personal computer
        equipment.   By  means of a computer bulletin board,  subscribers
        can   converse,  communicate  and  exchange  various   types   of
        information  with  each  other as well  as  retrieve  information
        stored on the bulletin board itself.

     16.       Plaintiff has been operating CCC since 1982 and has
        developed a list of monthly subscribers numbering in the
        thousands, who pay a set fee for access to the bulletin board.
        CCC offers its subscribers the ability to send and receive
        electronic mail (hereinafter "e-mail"), to participate in on-line
        discussion groups, to utilize and download software, to engage in
        computer games, and to receive newspapers and periodicals of
        general as well as highly specialized interest.  Included among
        the various information and service options offered to
        subscribers of CCC is non-obscene adult oriented material.  This
        category of material represents approximately three (3) percent
        of the total informational material and resources offered by CCC
        to its subscribers.  Access to the non-obscene adult oriented
        material on the CCC bulletin board is restricted to a limited
        number of adult subscribers who requested such access.
     17.       Commencing sometime prior to June 16, 1995, defendants,
        under color of state law and pursuant to and in their official
        capacities for and on behalf of their respective jurisdictions,
        conspired together and with others unknown, and therefore not
        named as defendants, to violate plaintiff's rights and privileges
        guaranteed to him by the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments
        of the United States Constitution, the First Amendment Privacy
        Protection Act, and Title II of the Electronic Communications
        Privacy Act by designing and implementing a campaign
        characterized by harassment, express and implied threats of
        criminal prosecution, and mass seizures of computer equipment and
        information.  This campaign was initiated by defendants for the
        purpose of causing plaintiff, and others, to cease transmitting
        and/or receiving non-obscene adult oriented material via computer
        technology.

     18.       Sometime on or about June 16, 1995, pursuant to and
        part of this campaign, defendants, under color of state law,
        sought a search warrant authorizing the search of all computer
        equipment and accessories necessary for the operation of CCC and
        authorizing the wholesale and indiscriminate review of all
        computer electronic communications transmitted to and from
        plaintiff and CCC's subscribers including, but not limited to, e-
        mail and personal correspondence that was stored in or exchanged
        in electronic form by means of CCC's equipment and software.  At
        the time defendants made application for the aforementioned
        search warrant, defendants knew or should have known that no
        reasonable grounds existed to believe that the contents of the e-
        mail and personal correspondence sought were relevant or material
        to any on-going criminal investigation.
     19.        On  June 16, 1995, pursuant to and part  of  this
        campaign,  defendants,  under color of state  law,  obtained  and
        executed a search warrant providing for the search of plaintiff's
        personal  residence  for all computer equipment  and  accessories
        necessary  for the operation of CCC as well as for all electronic
        communications   transmitted  to  and  from   CCC's   subscribers
        including, but not limited to, e-mail and personal correspondence
        that  was  stored in or exchanged in electronic form by means  of
        CCC's equipment and software.

     20.        As a further part of this campaign, following the
        execution of the aforementioned search warrant, defendants seized
        and  physically removed from plaintiff's residence virtually  the
        entire  inventory of computer equipment and accessories owned  by
        plaintiff and necessary for the operation of CCC.  Included among
        the  numerous equipment and accessories seized by defendants were
        computer hardware, video display units, printers, software,  data
        drives, and internal or external information storage units.  As a
        consequence of defendants' actions in removing the aforementioned
        computer equipment and accessories, defendants necessarily seized
        information  transmitted  to and from CCC  and  its  subscribers,
        including,  but not limited to, e-mail and correspondence  stored
        or  exchanged  in electronic form.  As a further  consequence  of
        these  actions defendants seized plaintiff's entire inventory  of
        non-obscene adult related material as well as all other forms  of
        expressive material.

     21.       At the time defendants sought, obtained, and executed
        the aforementioned search warrant and seized all of the computer
        equipment and accessories related to the operation of CCC, as
        well as much of the information provided by CCC to its
        subscribers which was contained in such equipment, defendants
        knew or should have known

       i.             that items seized included work product and
          documentary material containing mental impressions, conclusions
          or theories of individuals who authored or created such materials
          for the purpose of disseminating same to the public;

       ii.       that the information seized included e-mail and
          personal correspondence transmitted to and from plaintiff and
          CCC's subscribers;
      iii.      that the information seized included expressive
          material protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to
          the United States Constitution that cannot be seized without a
          prior judicial determination of probable obscenity;

       iv.       that the mass seizure of this computer equipment and
          information would have a devastating impact on the plaintiff's
          business;

        v.        that the mass seizure of this computer equipment and
          information would prevent plaintiff from transmitting any
          information, including expressive material protected under the
          First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States
          Constitution;

       vi.       that the search warrant under which authority
          defendants ostensibly based their actions did not by its terms
          authorize the seizure of any materials or information;

      vii.      that there were less intrusive means of obtaining the
          information defendants sought to inspect for potential violations
          of state law, and that such means, if utilized, would have
          permitted  plaintiff to continue to use and derive the economic
          benefit of his computer equipment;

     viii.          that there were less intrusive means of obtaining
          the information defendants sought to inspect for potential
          violations of state law, and that such means, if utilized, would
          have permitted  plaintiff to continue to receive and transmit
          constitutionally protected speech;

       ix.       that there were less intrusive means of obtaining the
          information defendants sought to inspect for potential violations
          of state law, and that such means, if utilized, would have
          preserved the privacy interests of plaintiff and his subscribers
          in the e-mail and personal correspondence that was stored in or
          exchanged in electronic form via CCC's equipment and software;
          and

        x.        that it was not necessary to physically seize and
          remove the information sought or any of the computer equipment
          owned by plaintiff because defendants at all times were capable
          of retrieving or "downloading" information exchanged or stored in
          plaintiff's computer equipment and by such means preserving said
          information for any legitimate law enforcement purpose determined
          by defendants.
     22.       Defendants' activities were conducted purposefully, in
          bad  faith,  in  conscious and reckless disregard of  plaintiff's
          federal and constitutional rights to privacy, to free speech, and
          to  be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, and with the
          intention to intimidate plaintiff from his continued exercise  of
          free   expression  and  to  impose  a  prior  restraint  on   the
          transmission  of presumptively protected forms of  expression  by
          plaintiff and others by permanently removing from circulation non-
          obscene  adult  oriented and other forms  of  expression  and  by
          physically  removing  and retaining the  computer  equipment  and
          software  by  which  computer-generated forms of  expression  are
          transmitted.

     23.       As a direct and proximate result of defendants'
          actions, as previously described, plaintiff has suffered and will
          continue to suffer damage to his business and professional
          reputation in the following regards

        i.             plaintiff has lost the use of computer equipment
          valued at approximately $45,000.00;

       ii.       plaintiff has been forced to replace computer equipment
          at the cost of approximately $45,000.00;

      iii.       plaintiff has lost revenue from subscribers in the
          amount of approximately $28,000.00 per month;

       iv.       plaintiff has suffered a temporary and permanent loss
          of a portion of his subscriber base;

        v.        plaintiff has lost good will associated with the
          operation of a legitimate and lawful computer service; and
       vi.       plaintiff has been prevented from transmitting
          presumptively protected material to his subscribers.

     24.        Further, unless defendants are preliminarily  and
          permanently  enjoined from continuing to engage in a campaign  to
          intimidate plaintiff, to chill the exercise of his constitutional
          rights, and to impose a prior restraint upon the distribution  of
          presumptively  protected  forms  of  expression,  plaintiff  will
          continue  to  suffer  violations of  his  constitutional  rights,
          thereby incurring irreparable injury for which plaintiff  has  no
          adequate remedy at law.

                STATEMENT OF THE CLAIM

                                   COUNT ONE

     25.        Paragraphs  one (1) through twenty-six  (26)  are
          realleged as if fully rewritten.

     26.       The actions of defendants, as described herein,
          deprived plaintiff of his right to free speech secured by the
          First Amendment to the United States Constitution in violation of
          42 U.S.C.  1983.


                                   COUNT TWO

     27.        Paragraphs  one (1) through twenty-six  (26)  are
          realleged as if fully rewritten.

     28.       The actions of defendants, as described herein,
          deprived plaintiff of his right to be free from unreasonable
          searches and seizures secured by the Fourth Amendment of the
          United States Constitution in violation of 42 U.S.C.  1983.


                                   COUNT THREE

     29.        Paragraphs  one (1) through twenty-six  (26)  are
          realleged as if fully rewritten.

     30.       The actions of defendants, as described herein,
          deprived plaintiff of his right to privacy secured by the United
          States Constitution in violation of 42 U.S.C.  1983.


                                    COUNT FOUR

     31.        Paragraphs  one (1) through twenty-six  (26)  are
          realleged as if fully rewritten.

     32.       The actions of defendants, as described herein,
          deprived plaintiff of the right to be free from deprivations of
          property without due process of law as guaranteed by the
          Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution in
          violation of 42 U.S.C.  1983.


                                    COUNT FIVE

     33.        Paragraphs  one (1) through twenty-six  (26)  are
           realleged as if fully rewritten.

     34.       The actions of defendants, as described herein,
           deprived plaintiff of rights secured by the First Amendment
           Privacy Protection Act, 42 U.S.C.  2000aa.


                                     COUNT SIX

     35.        Paragraphs  one (1) through twenty-six  (26)  are
           realleged as if fully rewritten.

     36.       The actions of defendants, as described herein,
           deprived plaintiff of rights secured by Title II of the
           Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C.  2701.


                                     COUNT SEVEN

     37.        Paragraphs  one (1) through twenty-six  (26)  are
           realleged as if fully rewritten.

     38.       The actions of defendants, as described herein,
           constituted an illegal conspiracy to deprive plaintiff of his
           constitutional rights in violation of 42 U.S.C.  1985(3).


                                   PRAYER FOR RELIEF

     WHEREFORE, Plaintiff Bob Emerson, d/b/a/ Cincinnati Computer
           Connection, hereby demands judgment as follows

     _     1.    A declaration that the actions of the defendants
           constitute  a  prior  restraint in violation  of  the  First  and
           Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution;

     1.        A preliminary and permanent injunction restraining,
           enjoining   and  prohibiting  the  defendants  from  undertaking,
           enforcing,  maintaining,  or adopting any  policies,  procedures,
           practices, campaigns, or acts against or towards plaintiff  which
           constitute  a  prior restraint upon plaintiff's  transmission  of
           protected   forms  of  expressive  non-obscene   adult   oriented
           materials;

     2.        An order requiring defendants to return to plaintiff
           all  computer  equipment, accessories and  material  seized  from
           plaintiff;

     3.        An order awarding plaintiff compensatory damages for
           his economic injuries in an amount not less than $250,000.00;

     4.        Liquidated damages under 42 U.S.C.  2000aa;

     5.        An award of plaintiff's reasonable attorney fees and
           costs incurred herein pursuant to 42 U.S.C.  1988; and

     6.        An award of such other relief in law and equity that
           this Court deems just and proper in the premises.

                                  JURY DEMAND

     Plaintiff demands the within facts be tried to a jury.



                              Respectfully submitted,

                              SIRKIN, PINALES, MEZIBOV & SCHWARTZ





                              H. LOUIS SIRKIN
                              Ohio Bar No. 0024573




                              MARC D. MEZIBOV
                              Ohio Bar No. 0019316




                              LAURA A. ABRAMS
                              Ohio Bar No. 0056183
                              920 Fourth & Race Tower
                              105 West Fourth Street
                              Cincinnati, Ohio  45202
                              Telephone (513) 721-4876
                              Telecopier (513) 721-0876

                              Attorneys for Plaintiff

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 09:38:59 -0400 (CDT)
From: Bob Izenberg <[email protected]>
Subject: File 2--Kyl and Leahy to Introduce Anti-Hacker Bill

This came from volume 15 issue 311 of TELECOM Digest:

Date--Thu, 20 Jul 95 07:52:59 MST
From--John Shaver <[email protected]>

Forwarded to TELECOM Digest, FYI.

  [email protected] at WOODY
  Date--7/11/95 1:41PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   CONTACT:  Liz Hickey
Wednesday, June 21, 1995                          (202) 224-4521

         KYL AND LEAHY TO INTRODUCE ANTI-HACKER BILL


  (Washington, D.C.) -- Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Senator Patrick
Leahy (D-VT) will introduce a bill next week that responds to the
rapidly increasing sophistication of computer crime by criminalizing
and toughening penalties for a host of computer security violations.

   The bill makes it a felony for a hacker to inflict reckless damage
on a computer system. It also makes it a felony for an authorized user
to inflict intentional damage on a computer system. And it criminalizes
cases where individuals threaten to crash a computer system unless
access and an account are granted.

  "Our national infrastructure, the information that bonds all
Americans, is not adequately protected," Kyl said. "This bill will
make criminals think twice before illegally gaining access to computer
files.

  "We have a national anti-stalking law to protect citizens from
harrassment, but it doesn't cover the equivalent of stalking on the
communications network. We should not treat these criminals differently
simply because they injure us in other ways."

  Reports demonstrate that computer crime is on the rise. The
Computer Emergency and Response Team (CERT) at Carnegie-Mellon
University found computer intrusions have increased from 132 in 1989
to 2,341 in 1994.

  A report commissioned last year by the Department of Defense and
the CIA states "[a]ttacks against information systems are becoming
more aggressive, not only seeking access to confidential information,
but also stealing and degrading service and destroying data."

  Current law punishes only those who trespass AND adversely affect
the use of a government computer. The bill treats viewing information,
even when no theft or damage occurs,  as a criminal offense. In this
situation, privacy and security have been breached.

   "The system administrator in these cases must spend time, money,
and resources to restore security," Kyl said. "We can no longer accept
trespassing into computers and viewing information as incidental just
because the information isn't stolen or damaged."

  The "Kyl/Leahy National Information Infrastructure Protection Act
of 1995"  adds a statute to allow prosecutors to fight interstate and
foreign transportation of stolen computer files.  And it ensures that
repeat computer crime offenders are subject to harsher penalties.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 21:49:28 -0500 (CDT)
From: David Smith <[email protected]>
Subject: File 3--Computer Porn Conviction: New Thought Control (fwd)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
[email protected] (Marcus Shields)
Subject--Computer Porn Conviction--New Thought Control

Internet users- particularly those in Canada- concerned about government
attempts to "crack down on Internet perverts" should take careful note of
the following article exerpted from the Toronto Star newspaper:

COMPUTER PORN CONVICTION A FIRST

A 20-year old Mississauga man will be sentenced July 20 for
creating and distributing child pornography on a computer
bulletin board.

It is the first reported conviction under Canada's two-year-old
kiddie porn law involving computer production and distribution.

"The materials are pretty disgusting, _but_at_this_stage_they're_
_all_his_fantasy,_all_the_workings_of_his_perverted_mind",
(emphasis added) assistant crown attorney Philip Enright said of
Joseph Pecchiarich, 20.

<snip>

.."What he would do is take his scanner and run the scan over a
totally innocent picture of a child, say a 5-year old girl
modelling a bathing suit," Enright explained.

"Then, when it was transposed on to his screen, with the software
that he had on his computer he was able to remove the clothing
and add genitalia and then he would put the child in a sexually
provocative position."

<snip>

So, there we have it, fellow Canadian computer users; merely
harbouring thoughts of having sex with children is now an offense
that will be zealously tracked down by the police and prosecuted
to the fullest extent of the law.

Now, the fascinating thing about the Pecchiarich case, in eerie
similarity to the recent Eli Langer "obscene art" prosecution in
Toronto, is that in both these cases of alleged "child pornography",
there is one rather minor (pun intended) missing element. To wit,
CHILDREN. If you will cast your mind back to the situation several
years ago when the Mulroney government passed the "child pornography"
law (over the bitter objections of the civil liberties lobby, and
virtually without serious debate in Parliament, partly because it
was near the end of the session but mainly because even the NDP had
been cowed into silence by overwhelmingly conservative public
opinion), the entire premise upon which this law was passed was, "to
protect children from sexual abuse".

But in both the Peccharich and Langer cases, no children- indeed, no
living beings of any kind- were involved at any stage of the process.
What these individuals WERE prosecuted for, is publicly expressing
thoughts that conservative society abhors- to wit, child sexuality.
Now, I'm strongly against the PRACTICE of children being involved in
sexual conduct, too- but, if we accept the idea that merely
communicating an idea that society doesn't like can be subject to
criminal prosecution, where do we draw the line? Suppose Peccharich
had used his computer to retouch a picture of Mila Mulroney so she
appeared to be in bondage? What if he doctored a picture of Jean
Chretien or Bill Clinton so it appeared that Bill or Jean had been
assassinated? Why is it OK for society to punish someone for
publishing thoughts of deviant sex, but not OK to punish someone for
imaginary depictions of murder? (Time to pull _True_Lies_ from the
video store, I guess.)

Well, you might want to discuss this issue with your fellow Net
users.

As long as doing so is still legal in the eyes of the police.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 18:23:51 EST
From: "Rob Slade, Social Convener to the Net" <[email protected]>
Subject: File 4--"Computer Privacy Handbook" by Bacard

BKCMPRHB.RVW   950418

%A   Andre Bacard [email protected]
%C   2414 6th St., Berkeley, CA   94710
%D   1995
%G   1-56609-171-3
%I   Peachpit Press
%O   U$24.95/C$31.95 510-548-4393 fax: 510-548-5991 800-283-9444
%O   [email protected] [email protected]
%P   274
%T   "Computer Privacy Handbook"
"Computer Privacy Handbook", Andre Bacard, 1995, 1-56609-171-3, U$24.95/C$31.95

After the three prior works on PGP and related issues, Bacard's book
reads like a popular magazine article.  Unfortunately, this is not
necessarily an advantage.

Part (chapter?) one is a general overview of privacy as related to
computers.  The examples and arguments used, though, are chosen from
such a broad spectrum that they actually weaken the position in favour
of privacy and confidentiality.  Most of the anecdotes relayed in the
book have little to do with computers.  The majority have to do with
governmental or corporate activities over which the individual has no
say.  None bear on the function of PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) -- to
encrypt local files and, in particular, those sent over public email
channels.

Chapter two discusses encryption in general terms.  *Very* general
terms.  There is no attempt to grasp or present any technical material
here.  This prevents Bacard from noting the silliness of statements
that "high-quality crypto" is "impossible" to break, or that methods
of attack have not been publicly identified.  First, this sounds
suspiciously like "security by obscurity".  Second, an awful lot of
people *do* know how to break PGP -- and they know exactly how long it
will take.  (By the way, it was Ken Follett, not the Germans, who used
"Rebecca" as a code key.)  The discussion of ITAR (the International
Traffic in Arms Regulation of the US government) does not provide
enough detail to explain the difficulties Phil Zimmermann faces, nor
the problems in getting PGP overseas.  The coverage of Clipper,
however, is excellent.

The overview of PGP given in chapter three is a fair enough
description, but completely avoids touching on Zimmermann's
difficulties with the US federal government or RSA Data Security.  The
pointers on how to get PGP are useless unless you want to buy
ViaCrypt's version.  The US sites all have limitations, and usually
some form of authentication before you can access the files.  The
international versions are illegal in the US because of patent issues.

Chapter four is documentation for the commercial version of PGP.

While the Stallings (cf. BKPRTPRV.RVW), Garfinkel (cf. BKPGPGAR.RVW)
and Schneier (cf. BKEMLSEC.RVW) works are written by technical experts
and contain technical background, they are not impossible for the
layman to understand.  This work, therefore, fails in a number of
respects, and brings little to the subject which has not been said
before.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKCMPRHB.RVW   950418

======================
[email protected], [email protected], Rob Slade at 1:153/733
[email protected] The Internet interprets censorship as damage and
routes around it - J. Gilmore Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer
Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540-94311-0

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1995 22:51:01 CDT
From: CuD Moderators <[email protected]>
Subject: File 5--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 19 Apr, 1995)

Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
available at no cost electronically.

CuD is available as a Usenet newsgroup: comp.society.cu-digest

Or, to subscribe, send a one-line message:  SUB CUDIGEST  your name
Send it to  [email protected]
The editors may be contacted by voice (815-753-0303), fax (815-753-6302)
or U.S. mail at:  Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL
60115, USA.

To UNSUB, send a one-line message:   UNSUB CUDIGEST
Send it to  [email protected]
(NOTE: The address you unsub must correspond to your From: line)

Issues of CuD can also be found in the Usenet comp.society.cu-digest
news group; on CompuServe in DL0 and DL4 of the IBMBBS SIG, DL1 of
LAWSIG, and DL1 of TELECOM; on GEnie in the PF*NPC RT
libraries and in the VIRUS/SECURITY library; from America Online in
the PC Telecom forum under "computing newsletters;"
On Delphi in the General Discussion database of the Internet SIG;
on RIPCO BBS (312) 528-5020 (and via Ripco on  internet);
and on Rune Stone BBS (IIRGWHQ) (203) 832-8441.
CuD is also available via Fidonet File Request from
1:11/70; unlisted nodes and points welcome.

EUROPE:  In BELGIUM: Virtual Access BBS:  +32-69-844-019 (ringdown)
        Brussels: STRATOMIC BBS +32-2-5383119 2:291/[email protected]
        In ITALY: Bits against the Empire BBS:  +39-464-435189
        In LUXEMBOURG: ComNet BBS:  +352-466893

 UNITED STATES:  etext.archive.umich.edu (192.131.22.8)  in /pub/CuD/
                 ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/Publications/CuD/
                 aql.gatech.edu (128.61.10.53) in /pub/eff/cud/
                 world.std.com in /src/wuarchive/doc/EFF/Publications/CuD/
                 wuarchive.wustl.edu in /doc/EFF/Publications/CuD/
 EUROPE:         nic.funet.fi in pub/doc/cud/ (Finland)
                 ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud/ (United Kingdom)

 JAPAN:          ftp://www.rcac.tdi.co.jp/pub/mirror/CuD

The most recent issues of CuD can be obtained from the
Cu Digest WWW site at:
 URL: http://www.soci.niu.edu:80/~cudigest/

COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
diverse views.  CuD material may  be reprinted for non-profit as long
as the source is cited. Authors hold a presumptive copyright, and
they should be contacted for reprint permission.  It is assumed that
non-personal mail to the moderators may be reprinted unless otherwise
specified.  Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles
relating to computer culture and communication.  Articles are
preferred to short responses.  Please avoid quoting previous posts
unless absolutely necessary.

DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent
           the views of the moderators. Digest contributors assume all
           responsibility for ensuring that articles submitted do not
           violate copyright protections.

------------------------------

End of Computer Underground Digest #7.62
************************************