Crypto software is subject to export controls for many countries. If you are going to distribute it as open source (or across borders from where it was developed) you should become familiar with the laws and regulations for your circumstance.
I've worked in INFOSEC (of a sort) before and now I generally work on routing platforms. One thing that I've been schooled in pretty carefully is the law as is pertains to import/export of cryptographic technology.
Some folks here might not be familiar with the plight of Phil Zimmerman, who had the bright idea to invent PGP when there was a real chance that ALL crypto in the US would be fiercely regulated by the federal government.
For his trouble, he was under indictment for something like 3 years while the federales were deciding if he had broken any laws or not. His supposed crime: someone managed to get PGP out of the US. Not him...someone else. I guess they thought he helped them.
SO this sort of thing isn't new; it's been going on for a while and there are lots of stories around about folks who decided to write books about secret crypto-loving agencies in the US and almost got arrested for doing so.
To ignore the reality of the government's position/actions on this is to invite trouble. Your best answers to an agent of the government are always the ones that provide a true but ultimately useless answer. Never lie.
I'm an US citizen, served in the military, and middle aged. On my last trip back from Toronto, I got flack from the border agent because my flight out was from LaGuardia but I was connecting through Philadelphia on my return. Border agent gets all inquisitive and asks how I'm supposed to get from PHL to LGA as if I'm trying to be subversive about it. I roll my eyes and show him my ticket from PHL to LGA and all of a sudden he realizes he's an idiot. Bear in mind, NONE OF THIS MATTERS. I'm a goddamn US citizen and I can enter anywhere I damn where please. Of course, I didn't ARGUE with him, I just showed him and went along my way.
The less upset/indignant you act when being questioned, the less suspicious you look. That goes even if you've done nothing wrong and are completely within your rights.
Nope. Not open source, and is currently being developed for the US gov't... either way, as a foreign national that likes to travel home to The Netherlands it is something I am worried about (not exporting crypto, but being held at the border due to my current work).
