re key registering bodies if we do not trust the nsa to be a registrar of clipper chip key halves i would not trust mitre either mitre does lots of work for nsa at least in the trusted product evaluation program evaluation of commercial off the shelf software for its efficacy in safeguarding classified information and i assume in other less open programs there are at least two other ffrdcs federally funded research and development corporations that work for nsa aerospace corporation and the institute for defense analysis now if nsa were to be untrustworthy a position that i am neutral about for purposes of this posting it would be in a position to exert economic pressure upon mitre to release key halves on demand it could just say if you don t cooperate with us we ll place all our evaluation contracts with aerospace and ida i am not saying that people at nsa mitre aerospace or ida are dishonest folk but since they are people and people occasionally go bad the system works better if organizations that you are depending upon to be independent really are and of course i speak for myself not my employer lynn grant
