more on new threat to our security: mail without complete addresses

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bob Drzyzgula <bob () drzyzgula org>
Date: October 20, 2004 3:45:02 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: Ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Subject: Re: [IP] new threat to our security: mail without complete 
addresses

And they verify the sender's name and address ... how?

When characterizing security measures, I tend to use as an
analogy the height of a physical wall one must scramble
over in order to enter a secured area. For example,
breaking into a password-secured computer to which you have
physical access might be a four-foot wall -- enough to be
a hassle but no real impediment to most able-bodied people.

On that scale, this would seem to be little more than
a frost-heaved sidewalk, barely enough to trip up someone
not paying attention. From the article, it would seem that
the implementation cost is beyond all proportion to the
value. Or am I missing something?

--Bob Drzyzgula

Glib's Fourth Law of Unreliability:
Investment in reliability will increase until it exceeds the
probable cost of errors, or until someone insists on getting some
useful work done. -- /usr/bin/fortune


On Wed, Oct 20, 2004 at 03:11:28PM -0400, David Farber wrote:
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Steve Bellovin <smb () research att com>
> Date: October 20, 2004 1:50:03 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Cc: schneier () counterpane com
> Subject: new threat to our security: mail without complete addresses
>
> According to the Associated Press, physical mail from the U.S. to
> Canada will be rejected unless the complete name and address of the
> sender are included.  The reason: a "response to increased security".
>
> http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-mail-to-
> canada,0,3031142.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines
>
>
>                 --Steve Bellovin, http://www.research.att.com/~smb
>
>
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