IP: so much for 60 bit keys if you use IBM

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

IBM TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT WITH ENCRYPTION KEY FOR NOTES
IBM has agreed to provide the U.S. government with a special key that would
enable government agents to more easily decode electronic messages, in
exchange for permission to export a version of Lotus Notes that includes
64-bit security.  The arrangement provides government officials with a key
to the first 24 bits of security code, meaning that they only have to crack
the remaining 40 bits to decrypt a message.  U.S. Notes customers already
use a 64-bit system.  "We were desperate enough to try to negotiate a
short-term, pragmatic solution," says Notes developer Ray Ozzie.  "But we do
not believe this is the right long-term solution...  Our customers have been
telling us that, unless we did something about the security, we could no
longer call it a secure system."  (Wall Street Journal 18 Jan 96 B7)