Trustworthy contacts

[Owen Lewis]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Gladman" <brg@gladman.plus.com>
To: <ukcrypto@maillist.ox.ac.uk>
Sent: 10 September 2000 16:45
Subject: Re: Trustworthy contacts


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dave Howe" <DHowe@Hawkswing.demon.co.uk>
> To: <ukcrypto@maillist.ox.ac.uk>
> Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 1:44 PM
> Subject: Re: Trustworthy contacts
>
> Unfortunately they use homegrown symmetric algorithms and don't trust each
> other's algorithms for critical national information.

Which is of course why the nations pay to set up STC and other like
organisations, to provide data and solutions where is is not possible for
such to be sourced from any one nation. It does by no means result in the
best being made available but is does usually result in something useable
being obtained.

> There has been a suggestion that citizen owned information in the UK might
> be protected with homegrown, unpublished algorithms such as Red Pike. I am
> not sure where this is at the moment (e.g. in the NHS) but I certainly
don't
> want anything as fishy as this coming anywhere near my own information
until
> the algorithm is published and subjected to open independent expert
review..

Does the citizen own the data in the correct sense or merely have a vested
interest in its collection, secure storage and use? I should add that I
agree with you that where personal data is encrypted there can be no
practical harm and clear political benefit in declaring the algorithm and
publishing it. In the public interest, I'd remain cagey as to the details of
its implementation.

Owen