The design and strength of all key lengths of the AES algorithm (i.e., 128, 192 and 256) are sufficient to protect classified information up to the SECRET level. TOP SECRET information will require use of either the 192 or 256 key lengths.

This essentially means that AES as at least as good as the algorithms the NSA develops for this purpose. Very impressive.

Policy Says AES OK for National Security Info

This scheme allows Alice to ask Bob if Bob is a warez site, but if it turns out that Bob is the RIAA he cannot prove that Alice asked for warez, and if it turns out that Alice is the RIAA she cannot prove that Bob is a warez site.

Secret Handshakes from Pairing-Based Key Agreements

] The nation's largest intelligence agency by budget and in
] control of all U.S. spy satellites, NRO is talking openly
] with the U.S. Air Force Space Command about actively
] denying the use of space for intelligence purposes to any
] other nation at any time not just adversaries, but even
] longtime allies, according to NRO director Peter Teets.

NeoCons in Spaaaaaaaace.

EE Times - U.S. 'negation' policy in space raises concerns abroad

] However, there have also been a number of people who
] claim I'm overstating the case and that it's not possible
] to build a real cruise missile without access to
] sophisticated gear, specialist tools and information not
] readily available outside the military.
]
] So, in order to prove my case, I decided to put my money
] where my mouth is and build a cruise missile in my own
] garage, on a budget of just US$5,000.

Fux0ring 3133t Cruise Missile d00d3s

Rerecommending with some changes to Elonka's text:

The Kryptos sculpture at CIA Headquarters has 4 sections of code on it. The first three have been solved. In 1999 there was a big media splash as Jim Gillogly announced his solution, which had been obtained via a computer attack. Part 4 (the last 97 characters) is as yet unsolved.

I wish I could say that I'd solved Part 4, but I haven't (yet). What I *did* do this week though, was come up with a new solution technique for part 3 which I believe to be the "pencil and paper" method that the original authors of the sculpture intended to be used. It's a way of eyeballing the code, such that anyone with access to the ciphertext ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/july99/kryptoscode19.htm ) could quickly make a grid and check the letters off to get the entire message. -- no elaborate mathematical formulae or number-crunchers required.

I've written to Gillogly and a couple other cryptographers to check my work. If anyone else would like to take a look in the meantime, I've got a page describing the technique which is posted at my Kryptos site:

Elonka's Solution to Part 3 of Kryptos

] Ensure that the Internet continues to provide an open
] platform for innovation: The Internet is different from
] the phone network and radio and broadcast television in
] important ways. It is easier for individuals and small
] organizations to be producers as well as consumers of
] information. The Internet allows for “many to many”
] communication as opposed to the “one to many”
] communication of broadcast television. Innovation can
] occur at the edge of the network. A student, an
] independent software developer, or a small high-tech
] company can come up with an idea for a new application,
] protocol, or kind of content. If enough people find it
] useful or worthwhile, this idea can spread like wildfire.
] Even as the Internet evolves, it important to ensure that
] it continues to provide an open platform for rapid and
] decentralized innovation, and for the exchange of ideas.

Will IP issues get some focus in the political retoric of the somewhat near future? We could use some IP clue in The Senate.. If issues of technology and innovation find they way into poltical retoric, I could picture serious discussion about IP issues following.

I still have a lot of lingering anger over Eldred. And then there are things like the recent SCO fiasco.. And the lumbering media giants who want to own all the infrastructure and content sources.. In general, I fear for the public domain. We have hit this point with our computer technology where we are building technology off other technology, off other technology, etc.. In order to work together, its necessary to place what I call "infrastructure level" technology (OSs, librarys, critical apps, etc) into the public domain. OSS. Its not a hippy-happy-love thing, its pratical. It create an environment ripe for innovation with a very low barrier of entry. It create opportunities for innovation to happen in everywhere from academia, to the corporate world, to the hacker in the garage. Its what we need if we are to live up to the promise of the information age.. I do, honestly, and seriously, fear that the powers that gain their wealth through control, and not innovation, are going to get the upper hand.. And this truly wonderful thing we have happening could be stopped dead in its tracks.. Keep in mind, this is still the beginning.. The Internet "happened" in 1995. It can't be allowed to be killed in its youth. Same think with OSS. That "happned" about the same time. This is all young stuff.

I eagerly hope for more focus on these issues. I guess, this is a good start. "Many to many".. Time to start connecting the dots.

Leiberman's technology plan

] I know this whole SCO/Linux thing can be very confusing,
] so I created this summary page to explain what's going
] on.
]
] To make it easier to understand, I put it in familiar
] terms.
]
]
] Cast:
]
] Daisy - Linux
]
] Roscoe P. Coltrane - SCO
]
] Boss Hogg - Microsoft
]
] Bo - Free Software Foundation
]
] Luke - Open Source Initiative
]
] Cooter - Bruce Perens
]
] Uncle Jesse - Novell

Someday the mountain might get 'em, but the law never will.

] And our receptionist? She'd still be paying about 30
] percent, which means she would be contributing about 10
] times the proportion of her income that I would to such
] government pursuits as fighting terrorism, waging wars
] and supporting the elderly. Let me repeat the point: Her
] overall federal tax rate would be 10 times what my rate
] would be.

[IP] Buffett on dividend taxes

] Both the war and the tax cuts began as policy decisions.
] The justifications for the policies were developed -- and
] changed as often as necessary -- to accommodate the
] policies.
]
] And a lot of people have gone blithely along.
]
] I wonder if they go along out of belief, out of deference
] to their leaders or out of partisan loyalty.

This is a well written question. Nice and open so that you can insert the theory of your preference. I want to add that just because they are obviously lying doesn't mean your conspiracy theories are correct.

Does the Public Really Believe? (washingtonpost.com)

] This model predicted the CD sales of RIAA members to
] within thirty million dollars (less than one-quarter of
] one percent) given the performance of the economy in
] 2002, as a function of nineteen other similarly-sized
] corporate sales, and the performance of the RIAA three
] previous years.

In other words, piracy is not impacting sales. (Note: This is extremely unlikely to be a conspiracy theory. The people that run these companies do NOT get this.)

Analysis of RIAA revenue figures versus overall economy