Re: crypto for criminals?

From: Joseph Ashwood (ashwood_at_msn.com)
Date: 06/30/05 

Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 23:17:10 GMT

<Crypto@S.M.S> wrote in message news:11botrrkk9af785@news.supernews.com...
> Joseph Ashwood wrote:
>> What is your threat model?
> But to answer Joe's question, the threat model is
> eavesdroppers. Many celebs & dons alike have had
> their SMS compromised, leading to uncomfortable
> events. CryptoSMS helps prevent that.

Depending on your definition of "uncomfortable" this quite likely means that
the only level necessary is exactly what I said it was from the beginning;
good enough to stop your wife from finding out about your mistress, but
won't stop a dedicated attacker.

> Reporters, paparazzi, and business competitors all
> stoop to the level of eavesdropping to gain that
> extra edge.

And all of them fall very cleanly into the wife/mistress level.
Reporters/paparazzi don't have the time and effort to break it, and
competitors need to worry more about their own company. Wife/mistress level.
The problem is that originally this was about crypto for criminals, which
clearly implied a dedicated attacker.

Assuming you have portrayed your threat model correctly, it is suitable for
that threat model. Your wife will not find out about your mistress, but the
government will if they bother looking at you.
                    Joe

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