Edupage, July 3 2000 (fwd)
David Vincenzetti
Some marketing hype on encryption...
> -----Forwarded message from EDUCAUSE <EDUC...@EDUCAUSE.EDU>-----
> PATENTS GRANTED FOR ENCRYPTION OF WEB MUSIC
> Three mathematicians at Brown University recently were awarded a
> patent for a system that encodes every second of music downloaded
> from a Web site with a different encryption key, breaking a
> typical song up into more than 200 different codes. NTRU
> Cryptosystems, a Rhode Island firm, now owns the patent to the
> device. The system, which utilizes "public key" encryption,
> makes it impossible to play a song on any other device except for
> the one owned by the authorized user. The system works for
> virtually all data transmissions between computers, cell phones,
> digital music players, or any consumer electronic device that has
> Web access. Once a consumer orders music online, the user's
> computer or music player gives the Web site's server the encoding
> key, which is used to encode the data and then thrown away, and
> the music is sent back to the user's computer, which already
> knows the key. (New York Times, July 3 2000)
>
...and something about privacy.
> HOW CONGRESSIONAL COOKIES CRUMBLE
> Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is the only member of Congress
> whose Web site uses permanent cookies to monitor users' Internet
> activity. The revelation embarrassed Menendez, an outspoken
> supporter of privacy rights. Menendez has since had
> the cookies removed from his Web site, and his spokesperson
> called their presence there accidental. Six other Congressional
> Web sites use temporary cookies, including those of House
> Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) and House Minority Leader
> Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.). Cookies have suddenly become a hot
> issue in Washington after the White House ordered all agencies in
> the executive branch to disable any cookies on their Web sites.
> Although Web designers claim that cookies are essential to keep
> sites running smoothly, many believe their presence on users'
> hard drives, often without the users' knowledge, is a violation
> of privacy. (Wired News, June 30 2000)
> -----End of forwarded message-----
--vince