[OLPC Security] Chilling effects?

[Mark Miller]

I notice at <http://www.usenix.org/events/upsec08/tech/tech.html> the paper:

Freezing More Than Bits: Chilling Effects of the OLPC XO Security Model
Meredith L. Patterson, University of Iowa; Len Sassaman and David
Chaum, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Is this the David Chaum? Anyone here know what chilling effects
they're thinking of?

[Ivan Krstić]

Post by Mark Miller
Is this the David Chaum?

According to Google, yes.

Post by Mark Miller
Anyone here know what chilling effects
they're thinking of?

No, and I'm fascinated to find out. They certainly didn't get in touch
with me about the paper :)

--
Ivan Krsti? <krstic at solarsail.hcs.harvard.edu> | http://radian.org

[Michael Stone]

Mark,

Post by Mark Miller
Is this the David Chaum?

I believe so, based on circumstantial evidence and a brief examination
of kuleuven.be's public records.

Post by Mark Miller
Anyone here know what chilling effects they're thinking of?

I have no positive knowledge; only the twin experiences of being asked
many times: "Can my activity do X?" and replying:

No, because...

...but since X is really only a means to an end E...

...you can largely satisfy E by doing Y or Z.

and of trying to explain the surprising consequences of the fact that we
desire to build software that treats user-generated data as confidential
until notified otherwise.

At any rate, I look forward to finding out what they have to say. At
least they've got a catchy title. :)

Michael

[C. Scott Ananian]

Post by Michael Stone
At any rate, I look forward to finding out what they have to say. At
least they've got a catchy title. :)

It's also in the "Short Papers" track, for what that's worth.

I'm most curious whether they've (a) evaluated what we've done, or
what we "plan to do" (ie, evaluated Ivan's Bitfrost paper, or our
actual implementation to date), and (b) whether they're most
interested in activity or firmware security (or something else?).
--scott