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List:       cryptography
Subject:    Re: Netscape Online Backup
From:       jsw () netscape ! com (Jeff Weinstein)
Date:       1998-08-29 0:00:14
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We, the Netscape security engineers, do know better.  Unfortunately this
service is offered through our site by another company, and the relationship
is managed by another part of the company.  Thanks for pointing this out.
I will look into it and get the situation corrected.

	--Jeff


C. Harald Koch wrote:
> 
> Netscape now has an Online Backup offering. It claims to offer secure backups,
> over the Internet, to an offsite Data Recovery Center. Looking for details of
> "secure", I tripped over:
> 
>         File Encryption
> 
>         How secure are the files you back up?
> 
>         Files are encrypted before leaving your computer.
>         We use the most robust encryption method available
>         for international use.  No one can ever read your
>             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>         files, not even Atrieva Corporation personnel.
> 
> More specifically:
> 
>         1. You use RSA encryption. How does this benefit me?
> 
>         RSA, the leader in encryption products for the PC
>         industry, owns and monitors the patents on a number
>         of encryption technologies. Based on current export
>         laws, we chose their RC2 algorithm to secure your
>         files so that Netscape Online Backup by Atrieva
>         Corporation could be used throughout the world. RC2
>         is also two to three times faster than the
>         encryption algorithm that other online backup
>         services use (DES 56). Plus, unlike DES 56, RC2 has
>                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>         never been broken.
>         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
>         2. Does anyone else have access to my encryption key?
> 
>         No. You choose your encryption key, and unless you
>         tell someone, you will be the only one that knows
>         it. Not even Atrieva Corporation personnel have
>         access to your key.
> 
> Netscape should really know better by now, shouldn't they?
> 
> --
> C. Harald Koch     <chk@utcc.utoronto.ca>
> 
> "It takes a child to raze a village."
>                 -Michael T. Fry

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