No, hits=-11.5 required=7.0
	tests=AWL,IN_REP_TO,KNOWN_MAILING_LIST,QUOTED_EMAIL_TEXT,
	      REFERENCES,SIGNATURE_SHORT_DENSE,SPAM_PHRASE_01_02,
	      USER_AGENT,USER_AGENT_KMAIL
	version=2.41-cvs

> > Is the use of "trusted hardware" really worth it ?
>
> Answering that requires fairly complete knowledge of the business
> model. But, in all probability: no, it isn't usually worth it. So, it
> comes down to how difficult you want to make the cracker's job.
>
> > Look at the DVDs.
>
> IIRC, CSS was cracked by reverse-engineering a software player; and
> one where the developers forgot to encrypt the decryption key at that.
This make me wonder about the relative protection of smart cards.  They have
an internal procession unit around 4MHz.  Can we consider them as trusted
hardware ?  The ability to ship smart cards periodicaly uppon cashing of a
monthly subscription fee would not raise too much the cost of "renting" the
system.  Smart card do their own self encryption.  Can they be used to
decrypt data needed by the system ?  The input of the system could me mangled
and the would keep a reference of how long it was in service.
This sounds really feasible but I may be totaly wrong.  I may also be wrong
about the safety of a smart card.
What do you think ?
--
Yannick Gingras
Coder for OBB : Oceangoing Bared Bonanza
http://OpenBeatBox.org

No, hits=-12.1 required=7.0
	tests=AWL,IN_REP_TO,KNOWN_MAILING_LIST,QUOTED_EMAIL_TEXT,
	      REFERENCES,SIGNATURE_SHORT_DENSE,SPAM_PHRASE_02_03,
	      USER_AGENT,USER_AGENT_KMAIL
	version=2.41-cvs

> Software vendors have been trying since forever to prevent software piracy.
> Remember when you had to enter a specific word from a specific page of the
> software manual, which was printed on dark maroon paper so that it could
> not be photocopied?  Didn't work.  Propritery encoding of DVD's?  Didn't
> work. Software that required the use of a registration key?  Didn't work.
> Windows XP was shipped with this supposedly revolutionary method for
> stopping piracy, and what happened?  How long was it before the code was
> cracked? How many keygens are there for Windows XP?  Is someone running a
> pirated version of XP really going to use Windows Update to installed a
> service pack which breaks their OS?  Just because M$ didn't include the
> change in their README?  Fat chance.
My problem is not the same as MS's one, I don't have to deal with millions of
identical copy of the same CD with propably millions of working keys.  Each
download can be unique with a small preparation delay.  The key generator is
a problem only if multiple keys are usable.  If the end users are teenagers,
you'll face a huge wall when asking to be 100% of the time online but if we
think of something like a health care system that keep track of patients
personnal information, the end user will be willing to take every possible
steps to protect the system from his own employees to use illegaly.
I agree with all of you that mass production CDs will not be safe from piracy
in a near futur.  That can be seen as a collateral of mass market
penetration.
BTW thanks for all of you who provided interestiong insight.  I'm playing with
gdb's dissassembler now but I don't think it's what a typical cracker would
use.  Any hints on UNIX cracking tools ?
Thanks.
--
Yannick Gingras
Coder for OBB : Onside Brainsick Bract
http://OpenBeatBox.org