Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: PJ Strifas who wrote (27998)	9/7/1999 3:43:00 PM
From: Frederick Smart	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42771

Microsoft's 'secret link to Big Brother' OBSERVER (London) September 5 Microsoft's 'secret link to Big Brother' Is 'Big Brother' lurking in every computer or did a software designer simply use an unfortunate acronym? That was the questioning exercising internet chat rooms this weekend following claims that America's National Security Agency (NSA) had inserted a secret key into all post-1995 versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system so that it could read private e-mails and documents. The claim, furiously denied by Microscoft, follows a chance discovery by a cryptographer working for a Canadian software firm. While dissecting Microsoft security software, Andrew Fernandes, Chief Scientist at the Cryptonym Corporation in Ontario, found an element in the Windows operating system labelled 'NSA key'. When Fernandes' discovery was made public on Friday, it sparked a wave of speculation on the Internet. Cryptographers say the key is evidence of a long-suspected secret deal between Microsoft and America's spy agency. Embedded in every copy of Windows 95, 98, NT4 and 2000, the key could enable the NSA to read confidential communications at a keystroke, they say. But Microsoft claims there is no Big Brother in its software and that the choice of initials reflects the fact the NSA is responsible for reviewing data-scrambling software and hardware to ensure compliance with US export regulations. 'These charges are completely false,' said Scott Culp, Microsoft's security manager for the Windows system. 'These are just used to ensure that we're compliant with US export regulations. We have not shared the private keys.' However, following the discovery last week of a security flaw allowing hackers into the e-mail of more than 40 million users of Microsoft's Hotmail service, many experts are skeptical. They say that Microsoft is a highly compartmentalised firm and that modifications could have been inserted at the NSA's request without the knowledge of product managers. They also point out the NSA has a record of rigging export software. In the Seventies the NSA had de-encryption devices inserted into systems sold to Swiss software manufacturer Crypto AG, so the agency could read the coded diplomatic and military traffic of more than 130 countries. The same technique was re-used in 1995 when the NSA became concerned about cryptographic security systems being built into Internet and e- mail software by Microsoft, Netscape and Lotus. The companies agreed to adapt their software to reduce the level of security for users outside America. In Lotus products exported to Sweden, the NSA 'help information' trapdoor built into Notes software was found to have compromised confidential mail of Swedish MPs and tax office staff. Computer security specialists were aware that unusual features were contained inside the standard Windows key used to authenticate software components, and two years ago noted the existence of a 'second' key whose existence they could not account for. But the discovery of the identifying 'NSA' tag, which had been disguised in earlier versions of Microsoft software, has been seized on by conspiracy theorists.