Date: Fri, 25 Jun 93 15:57:18 EST Errors-To: Comp-privacy Error Handler From: Computer Privacy Digest Moderator To: Comp-privacy@PICA.ARMY.MIL Subject: Computer Privacy Digest V2#054 Computer Privacy Digest Fri, 25 Jun 93 Volume 2 : Issue: 054 Today's Topics: Moderator: Dennis G. Rears Re: ssn and life insurance ?? Article on EFF in WIRED A public experiment in how private our lives really are new Electronic Cash scheme: technical report available The Computer Privacy Digest is a forum for discussion on the effect of technology on privacy. The digest is moderated and gatewayed into the USENET newsgroup comp.society.privacy (Moderated). Submissions should be sent to comp-privacy@pica.army.mil and administrative requests to comp-privacy-request@pica.army.mil. Back issues are available via anonymous ftp on ftp.pica.army.mil [129.139.160.133]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1993 15:07:20 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jurassic Park [out of] Control Center" <0005066432@mcimail.com> Reply-To: "Jurassic Park [out of] Control Center" <0005066432@mcimail.com> Subject: Re: ssn and life insurance ?? From: Paul Robinson Organization: Tansin A. Darcos & Company, Silver Spring, MD USA ----- > I have just applied for whole life insurance for my 2 > year old (he is 2 today, the application went in a couple of > weeks ago). the insurance company is insisting on his ssn (he > doesn't have one). > > The question. Does anyone know if the insurance company > is REQUIRED by the feds or by the state (mass) to secure this > info? There is probably a dividend involved with the insurance and thus since they may be paying a dividend, they have to ask for tax reasons. They probably figure he has one since after 2 you have to get one in order to get the dependent deduction. If you do not have one, state as such; if you are not planning to get one, say so. Ask the insurance company why; if they claim it's because of the law, ask which law and pin them down on it. If you do not wish to give them the Social Security number and do not intend to get him one, then you can just say that, or just give them yours and say he doesn't have one. Or ask where in the contract or the state insurance code that allows them to refuse to issue a policy without the social security number. If they are still sticky about it, find another insurance agent, or tell your current agent that when your policies come up for renewal, you will consider strongly going to another agency. You might want to do that anyway, as you might find other insurance agents to be cheaper. Or check for companies that sell life insurance by mail without agents. A lot of these companies (even the larger ones) are hungry and want the business. Especially try finding someone who is brand new as an insurance agent; since all of his money comes from commissions, he is going to be much more receptive to your requests. --- Paul Robinson - TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM ----- The following Automatic Fortune Cookie was selected only for this message: Success is overrated. Incompetence is what we should revere -- it marks us off from animals. -- Stephen Pile ------------------------------ From: Tom Thomas Subject: Article on EFF in WIRED Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1993 02:18:50 GMT The May/June issue of WIRED contains an article titled 'Crypto Rebels', which provides a high-level treatment of issues sourrounding privacy in electronic communications. It talks a lot about the EFF and John Gilmore. However, on page 97 in the 'Hype List' column, there is a blurb about the EFF 'selling out' and reorganizing. I'm curious about the current state of the EFF, and any other information about them. I've seen many references to them in Dorothy Denning's series of articles in CACM, but now have a stronger curiosity. Any info/leads will be appreciated. Also, any discussion about EFF and its activities would be of interest to me. Thanks - Tom Thomas ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jun 93 15:02:00 PDT From: John Gilmore Reply-To: tye@nws.globe.com Subject: A public experiment in how private our lives really are A reported has asked me for help in finding people who will help to pentrate the privacy of four volunteers, for a major newspaper story. Any takers? Contact the reporter: Reporter for major metro paper is interested in help finding out anything there is to find on four prominent people who have volunteered to have their privacy breached. Financial fundamentals. Lives of crime. Aches and pains. How rich they are, where they vacation, who they socialize with. You name it, we're interested in seeing if it's out there. All for a good cause. If you're willing to advise this computer-ignorant reporter, or dig in and get the dope on these volunteers, please contact him at tye@nws.globe.com Or call at +1 617 929 3342. Soon. Thanks. Feel free to forward this far and wide. -- John Gilmore gnu@toad.com -- gnu@cygnus.com -- gnu@eff.org Creating freedom, rather than longer chains, bigger cages, better meals, . . . ------------------------------ From: Niels Ferguson Newsgroups: alt.privacy,comp.society.privacy,alt.security,comp.security.announce,comp.security.misc,sci.crypt Subject: new Electronic Cash scheme: technical report available Date: 25 Jun 93 13:48:26 GMT Followup-To: sci.crypt New electronic cash system: report available by FTP. --------------------------------------------------- Electronic cash is the equivalent of paper cash in an electronic form. It has all the same basic properties as ordinary cash: It carries value, can be used to pay other people without contacting any central organization and is completely anonymous. Recent work at the CWI has resulted in significantly improved protocols for electronic cash. The following CWI technical report is now available by FTP: Title: Single Term Off-Line Coins Author: Niels Ferguson Report: CS-R9318 Site: ftp.cwi.nl directory:/pub/CWIreports/AA file: CS-R9318.ps.Z (compressed PostScript file) Abstract -------- We present a new construction for off-line electronic coins that is both far more efficient and much simpler than previous systems. Instead of using many terms, each for a single bit of the challenge, our system uses a single term for a large number of possible challenges. The withdrawal protocol does not use a cut-and-choose methodology as with earlier systems, but uses a direct construction. This report is slightly more extensive than the version that appeared in the pre-proceedings of EuroCrypt '93. If you are interested in this report, you might also be interested in a report by my colleague Stefan Brands entitled "An Efficient Off-line Electronic Cash System based on the Representation Problem". It can be found under the name "CS-R9323.ps.Z" in the same directory. Note: Followup set to sci.crypt Niels -------------------------------------------------#include------ ... of shoes and ships and sealing-wax, of | Niels Ferguson cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling | CWI, Amsterdam, Netherlands hot, and whether pigs have wings ... | e-mail: niels@cwi.nl -- -------------------------------------------------#include------ ... of shoes and ships and sealing-wax, of | Niels Ferguson cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling | CWI, Amsterdam, Netherlands hot, and whether pigs have wings ... | e-mail: niels@cwi.nl ------------------------------ End of Computer Privacy Digest V2 #054 ******************************