[Info-vax] DEC Alpha was used for generating nuclear authorization codes

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 12/19/22 13:54, John Dallman wrote:
> In article <a12a3961-d4fd-4f39-9c1a-2536fee03977n at googlegroups.com>,
> norebid at gmail.com () wrote:
> 
>> It's a move that has stunned experts in the field.
> 
> That's a bit strange. The drives, and all the other non-volatile storage
> in the machine, will have been securely destroyed as the most basic of
> precautions. Provided no other Alpha systems are still in use in that
> field, there's nothing insecure about admitting which kind of
> programmable computer was used for cryptography. Several other kinds
> could have done the job.
> 

Many moons ago there was an episode of 60 Minutes that involved not only
a visit to NSA HQ at Ft. Meade, MD but also a look at their datacenter
which showed aisle after aisle of racks full of DEC Alphas.  A very
interesting thing to see.  I wonder what occupies those datacenters
today?  And, remember, there was a time when VMS was a DISA approved
operating system.  At least  up until about 2009.

bill