Lpc2000

At 06:55 PM 9/14/04 -0700, you wrote:
>Well, you may lock the ISP and the Jtag, but you will not lock out the 
>back door put in by Philips and other manufacturers at the government request.

I think you are confusing code protecting with the late (failed) US 
encryption initiative (called Skipjack if I remember correctly) which 
included mandatory key escrow provisions.  Strangely very few governments 
(or others) wanted to hand their encryption keys over to a third party no 
matter how many safeguards would supposedly be in place ;)

>The problem is a global one because I suspect the back door algoryths can 
>be read by analysing the chip in a laboratory using electron microscopes 
>and such. If the key is not secure enough then companies can specialise in 
>cracking them and we all lose.

Actually all you need to do is find a way to corrupt a single bit in the 
protection word.   These protections are not about absolutely preventing 
copying but simply making the cost too high to make it worthwhile.  That's 
true even of the high security processors with the automatic tamper circuits.

Robert

" 'Freedom' has no meaning of itself.  There are always restrictions,
be they legal, genetic, or physical.  If you don't believe me, try to
chew a radio signal. "

                         Kelvin Throop, III