IBM builds encryption into their chips... a question for anyone...

[BlooInBloo]

http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-6059276.html?part=rss&tag=6059276&subj=news

"With Secure Blue, data is encrypted and decrypted as it runs through a processor, according to IBM. It is maintained encrypted in the device memory, or RAM. One of the few times data would not be scrambled is when it is actually displayed."

Shrug. Whatever - the more hacker speedbumps you put up, the better I suppose...

But I do wonder: What are the chances that IBM would do this WITHOUT giving the government a heads-up on an easy way to break or defeat the encryption?

Slim to none, it seems to me. I'd at least like to see the question asked in the public realm, and force IBM to answer the question one way or the other.

[Canuckistanian]

1. Put it this way

If I wanted to protect all my sensitive information from everyone, including the government, I would certainly not buy it from IBM.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the Pentagon themselves supplied the code keys to IBM.

[wakeme2008]

2. probably not.. there is a strong

group of crypto hackers out there that test for things like backdoor.

[MikeStl]

3. yep

You make a good point. I'd be very surprised if they didn't give the government a back door to break the encryption. After the whole thing with the secret encoding of yellow dots on color laser printers, I wouldn't put anything past them.

[BlooInBloo]

5. And I seem to recall hearing about MS building govt backdoors too...

I'd just like to see IBM asked, on the record about that.

[Nederland]

4. Answer: the odds are pretty high

Technology with built in government back doors tend to be colossal market failures: just look at the Clipper chip. Usually when something has a built in back door you'll see a heated discussion over on slashdot.org, and when I did a quick search I found nothing on Secure Blue. I'll look a bit more and see if I come up with anything new. I was working as a cryptographer 6 years back but I admit I'm a bit out of touch with the latest developments...

[BlooInBloo]

6. If you're right...

... then that kills pretty much ANY marketing value the encryption has, right? After all, THE GOVERNMENT THE #1 ENTITY I DON'T WANT LOOKING IN ON ME.

IBM: "We secure you against everyone but the government - we put the red carpet out for them."

:rofl:

[Nederland]

7. Exactly

The people that buy encryption products tend to be a fairly paranoid lot. In order for them to buy your product they need to be convinced that you aren't providing the government an easy way to decrypt your shit. IBM doesn't have a good track record at this, but their recent support of open source software (which produces the safest encryption applications out there by vitue of its code being accesible to everyone) might indicate that they've gotten the message. Who knows. Like I said, I've been out of it for a few years.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Fair point - OSS committment does mitigate worry....

a LITTLE.

:)

[file83]

8. "I like RED carpets, Dave. It compliments my eye color...."

[BlooInBloo]

9. rofl!

[simonm]

11. No problem just give the feds 5 seconds with your computer..

.. and they will have it log everything you type including passwords.


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