| From: | mamos@*****.com (Mike Amos) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Money and ID (Verbos) |
| Date: | Fri, 22 Nov 2002 14:26:19 -0700 |
been made clear that it would be very challenging to make a computer
database of one time pads that would be effective, and most other encryption
methods wouldn't be all that effective, given computing power of the 2060's
(anyone ever calculate how that would actually relate to today assuming
Moore's Law?).
Last week or so I read about a new encryption system involving very small
glass beads being dropped into a small circle on a debit or other like card
then sealed in there with transparent materials. This leaving a window
through which light can pass, but packed full of randomly arranged and
imperfect glass spheres. Then to verify the card you shine a laser through
the window and the beads break it up, forming a unique pattern. Every
little flaw, or difference in orientation of each bead adds up to millions
of possible unique combinations. It also makes the method tamper resistant
(NOTE: Not Tamper Proof), because you screw with the beads your are very
likely to break your card, something the card issuers would frown upon
heavily, and invalidating your card for future use. Then you would have some
heavy explaining to do to a Troll in a nice suit at your local financial
institution.
This or something like it might serve better to protect your credstiks,
basically the huge number that is generated is linked to some biometrics
feature on you (The character). If anyone who doesn't have said feature to
match the credstick, the transaction can't occur. In the case of a
transaction between two card (not on the net). The sticks would keep a
record of the transaction, the id number, and the biometric verification.
Once the stick is linked to the network everything is verified, and if there
is a questionable transaction, the bank can freeze that account, and even
undo all related transactions, after it is only 1's and 0's shifting around.
The would also add the questionable stick's number to a database kept on
credsticks and updated every time the link to the net of unusable sticks.
I guess to attempt to put it more eloquently (This all sounded much smoother
in my head, prior to typing it). Think of the stick number (generated from
the glass beads or a similar system)as the publicly available key, and the
biometric print as the signature, and the transaction would be conducted
much like a typical asymmetric transaction is now. Thus each transaction is
wrapped in the encryption from each stick and person, thus making the data
and the transaction traceable to any offending stick/person. Transactions
with certified credsticks are basically handled as a symmetrical
encryption. In both cases the bank acts as an escrow. Although the money
appears to be available it has the right to undo transactions when it feels
warranted. I believe banks can do that sort of thing now with debit card
transactions.
Now you have a tamper resistant stick (don't want to screw up the beads by
truing to install a different kind of data jack, or trying to crack the case
to get at the actual data storage unit inside the stick) and well encrypted,
but portable through asymmetrical encryption, including a signature key.
This makes the transactions reversible (as I believe they are today) and the
money handling system overall, safe.
Now one for you guys/glass, how would quantum computing impact the world of
shadowrun as we know it?
"Imagination is more important that knowledge."- Einstein
P.S. I shall hunt for the article about the glass beads if anyone cares more
about the technical side of that concept
