AMD64: Something's missing?

[SONE Takeshi]

On Wed, Oct 22, 2003 at 12:27:35PM +0200, Peter Stuge wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 22, 2003 at 05:31:46AM -0500, Evan Langlois wrote:
> > The boot image in this case would be a proprietary piece of software for
> > real-time network filtering.  The algorythm for which is patented
> > technology.  A user-input encryption key doesn't make sense as the box
> > is stand-alone and does not have an operator.  A simple encryption at
> > least stops someone from removing the drive (or flash disk) from the
> > system and reverse engineering it.  Granted, they can get the key from
> > the ROM, but if they have to disassemble the ROM to do it, it might slow
> > things down.
> 
> Maybe by a day.

They don't have to disassemble the ROM, when GPLed code is used to
build it.
You can't keep it secret when you added your crypto code to GPLed
software (like LinuxBIOS or FILO).

You want obfuscation. IMHO it is a bad idea in general.
-- 
Takeshi