[ISN] re: China grants WLAN technology rights to more companies

From: InfoSec News (isn@private)
Date: Thu Jan 08 2004 - 05:48:00 PST

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    Forwarded from: matthew patton <pattonme@private>
    
    <quote>
    
    While any Chinese company that has been approved to produce commercial
    encryption products can apply for the rights to license WAPI, the
    Chinese government will not grant licensing rights to foreign
    companies, Li said. Existing regulations do not permit foreign
    companies to have access to commercial encryption technology used in
    China, she said.
    
    "This will add cost to end users but considering the higher safety the
    new standard provides, it is acceptable," Li said.
    
    </quote>
    
    I'm surprised I haven't seen some real flack over this. if wifi was so
    bad the right way to fix it's security is to work thru the committees
    so that all would benefit. Given that China is a communist and
    repressive regime and not exactly a champion of free thought and
    political expression coupled with the above details that the
    technology is and will remain proprietary and closely held among
    presumably loyal Chinese companies anyone want to guess how "secure"
    their protocol really is? I say it's probably easily compromised so
    that the gov't can snoop trivially. I'm surprised the Western media
    isn't scoffing openly at the Chinese disengenous position. Do they
    really think we're that dumb?
    
    And there might be an even more crass angle - by refusing to license
    an international standard they don't have to pay anybody any money for
    it, AND the force the suppliers to pay to play. Why did we ever give
    these fools most favored trading status?
    
    I'm not plugged into the Chinese dissident movement but I sure hope
    they use ISAKMP/IKE from the likes of OpenBSD to do their security and
    simply not use wifi or this other thing.
    
    =====
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     other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
    
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