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Re: Bruce Schneier's Proposal to dedicate November meeting to saving the Internet from the NSA

Hannes Tschofenig <hannes.tschofenig@gmx.net> Fri, 06 September 2013 16:49 UTC

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Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 19:48:14 +0300
From: Hannes Tschofenig <hannes.tschofenig@gmx.net>
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To: SM <sm@resistor.net>
Subject: Re: Bruce Schneier's Proposal to dedicate November meeting to saving the Internet from the NSA
References: <5F053C0B-4678-4680-A8BF-62FF282ADDCE@softarmor.com> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1309051743130.47262@hiroshima.bogus.com> <52293197.1060809@gmail.com> <CAMm+LwjdN478yyU=J7=GTpQxqtdgP8wtdEtna50X+WtA-bV3hg@mail.gmail.com> <CAKe6YvMZmAUog1tNHZ8mX61vBsALj+bw6gbM9V5EdQSLva4nJQ@mail.gmail.com> <6.2.5.6.2.20130905205602.0666f360@resistor.net> <CAKe6YvM2UjGuuf8Sy+7H4m5SRa93-cqVdtTrZUir2XKuSZ7d5w@mail.gmail.com> <6.2.5.6.2.20130906022421.0c946628@resistor.net>
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On 06.09.2013 18:53, SM wrote:
> At 06:04 06-09-2013, Martin Sustrik wrote:
>> So, what if an NSA guys comes in and proposes backdoor to be added to
>> a protocol? Is it even a valid interest? Does IETF as an organisation
>> have anything to say about that or does it remain strictly neutral?
>
> Would anyone notice it on a Last Call?  Would anyone say something about
> it?  I doubt that.  Ted Lemon said it nicely: "we should pay attention".


You will have to interpret what a backdoor in a protocol would be.
I guess that would be a weaker security feature, delaying work or
starting some other work that plays in their favor.

That would, however, be a bit tricky.

In some sense this is not really needed by them since we have lots of 
companies who already argue for weaker security properties, for a 
variety of different reasons.

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