Archive for October 2003

Some time ago an article caught my eye about folks going to jail because they took computers outside of the U.S.  The problem was that, because of computer processor capabilities and the built-in cryptographic capabilities of common off-the-shelf software, it violated Export Administration Regulations.  The article went on to describe the maximum fines and penalties associated with the export of these items: $1,000,000 plus 10 years in jail for each criminal violation, or $500,000 plus a 3-year export ban for each civil violation. A few days later a colleague who works for an international ministry told me he had just sent software updates to their overseas field offices.  Click— the light went on.  I told him about the article I had just read which applied to the software technology he just sent overseas.  We were both shocked as we discussed the impact these regulations could have on similar international ministries.

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