PGP problems

[Trevor Smith]

On Tue, 01 Aug 2000 18:02:55 +0100, Brian Morrison wrote:

>I think the snag is that the Web Of Trust is actually rather cumbersome
>and to really believe that you are secure you have to take a lot of
>precautions that are not readily applicable to email. We all expect to
>just type right? Well security just isn't like that, you need to be
>utterly sure that the person you are communicating with is really who
>they say they are. PGP is best suited to people that have met to

Bah, I'm not that paranoid.

For example, suppose you and I start emailing each other. I have no
idea who you really are, nor do I care in this context. You and I
have exchanged notes via email, found we enjoy conversing so we start
a regular exchange. I don't need to see your passport or a payslip to
know who you really are. I just need you to send me your PGP key.

Sure, theoretically someone could intercept the communication and
send a dummy key and steal all our pen-pal correspondence. But why?
There's no reason.

There is a reason for us to encrypt though. I don't like things
floating around on people's systems for anyone to read. What if I
tell you I secretly love Martha Stewart and want to marry Oprah? I
don't want that stuff falling into the wrong hands!

>As you may know, the RIP bill has received the Royal Assent in the UK,
>we're all in the government's gunsights over here now :-(

Don't know what RIP is. What is it?


-- 
 Trevor Smith          |          trevor@haligonian.com
 PGP public key available at: www.haligonian.com/trevor