> <mailto:
nickm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>
> On Wed, Jan 02, 2008 at 02:47:11PM -0600, Eugene Y. Vasserman wrote:
> > Thus spake Ringo Kamens on Sun, 23 Dec 2007:
> >
> > (snip)
> > > Also, we know the NSA and DoJ have engaged in
> > > this type of activity in the past such as "working" with
> Microsoft to
> > > secure vista and having their private key inserted into windows
> > > versions so they could decrypt things.
> >
> > I've heard of the Vista bit, but what are you referring to, as far as
> > having a decryption key for Windows stuff? I know they had one in...
> > What was it? Lotus Notes?
>
> He's probably referring to the "NSAKey" key in NT 4. For more
> information, see
>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nsakey>
> It's a secondary code-signing key, allegedy to be used if their
> primary code signing key needed to be revoked.
>
> If you believe Microsoft, the key was called "_NSAKEY" because it was
> introduced in order to meet NSA requirements for a secondary key.
> Naming things after the software or organization that requires them,
> rather than after their actual purpose, is not unusual for Microsoft:
> Their office XML spec is littered with stuff like the notorious
> AutoSpaceLikeWord95.
>
> Personally, I don't believe that contemporary operating systems are so
> secure that the NSA would rather have security holes custom-built for
> it instead of just using the ones that are already there.
>
> peace,
> --
> Nick
>
>