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From: Markowitz@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL
Subject: exportability of PKZIP (was: RE: RC2)
Message-ID: <930420212027.275134@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL>
Sender: Markowitz.Catwalk2@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL
Organization: Yale CS Mail/News Gateway
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1993 21:20:00 GMT
Lines: 36

Vesselin Bontchev (bontchev@fbihh.informatik.uni-hamburg.de) writes:

>>Markowitz@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL writes:  >>> It is interesting to note
in this regard that permission to export >>> PKZIP's encryption scheme
has twice been denied by NSA.  Draw you own >>> conclusions.

>>Uh, I'm afraid that your information is slightly out of date...
PKWare >>has obtained a license to export their program to the whole
world, >>except a very limited list of countries...  Draw your own
conclusions >>about the strength of the algorithm...  :-)

Sorry if I was less than clear.  :-) I was referring to our own efforts
to receive export permission from NSA for the PKZIP encryption
algorithm, not to any effort on the part of Phil Katz or PKWare.

I should point out that the original version of this algorithm was
designed by Roger Schlafly and that WE (meaning Roger and myself) were
twice denied an export license for it.  The second go 'round was just
this past fall.

I had no knowledge of Phil's attempts in this.  I do not even *know* for
sure if he choose to implement the algorithm as it was designed by
Roger, though I *believe* that was at least the case for versions prior
to 2.0.  And then there's the question of key management.  :-)

And even if our applications were identical, there is no reason to
assume the NSA would treat them that way.  :-)

-mjm

----------
  Michael J. Markowitz, VP R&D      markowitz@dockmaster.ncsc.mil
  Information Security Corp.        708 405-0500, fax: 708 405-0506
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