PGP

Could someone EMAIL me where I could get a copy of PGP for my Netcom
account?  Thanks.  

-- 
     Mike Duvos         $    PGP 2.3a Public Key available    $
     mpd@netcom.com     $    via Finger.                      $

It has been said:
> 
> Could someone EMAIL me where I could get a copy of PGP for my Netcom
> account?  Thanks.  

I would like to emphasize that it is useless and a jeopardy to those
who communicate with anyone on a public connect service such as Netcom
using PGP.  The *only* way that PGP can be used effectively is to run
it on a local computing resource like a PC that is *not* directly
connected to the net.  It is irresponsible to use it otherwise.

I don't mean to flame.  The danger and futility of using PGP on a
multi-user, networked system seems non-obvious to a lot of folks.


Peace,

Bob

-- 
Bob Cain    rcain@netcom.com   408-354-8021


           "I used to be different.  But now I'm the same."


--------------PGP 1.0 or 2.0 public key available on request.------------------

I think that, if you are careful, you can safely use PGP on a
networked, single-user machine.  For example, I use PGP on Athena, a
networked series of UNIX machines.  I trust the binary, since I built
it myself, and since there is no one else on my machine when I use
PGP, I am sure that no one is getting my passphrase.  As for my secret
key, well, it is in a facist AFS directory, which isn't close to being
as secure as a floppy, but it means that not anyone can just get it.

Do I feel safe?  Yes.  Would I recommend others here do as I do?  Yes.
Would I recommend people at other sites do as I do?  Depends on the
site.  Netcom?  No.

Just my $.02

-derek

A simple question:

>> Could someone EMAIL me where I could get a copy of PGP for my Netcom
>> account?  Thanks.  

An answer:

>I would like to emphasize that it is useless and a jeopardy to those
>who communicate with anyone on a public connect service such as Netcom
>using PGP.

Another rule of thumb I have:

	Never force someone to act in their own best interest.

How do you know what the best interests of someone else are?  How do
you know when they change?  Calling PGP on netcom "useless" is blind
foolishness.  Using PGP on netcom does not protect against netcom
administration or netcom access hackers, fine.  That does not make it
useless.

Did you ask who the correspondent was?  Perhaps the protection is
against a sysadmin on the _other_ end of the conversation.  Did you
ask if security is really needed?  Perhaps the person wishes to
practice and to integrate PGP into their software system.

Any potential "jeapordy" is contingent upon something bad happening as
a result of revelation on the netcom end.  This situation is not
always true, and likely not usually true.

>I don't mean to flame.  The danger and futility of using PGP on a
>multi-user, networked system seems non-obvious to a lot of folks.

You may not mean to flame, but you were indeed flaming:

	useless, jeapordy, danger, futility

Not one of these words is justified without more information about the
PGP user and their situation.

There are certainly risks involved in the stated use of PGP.
Sometimes these risks constitute a barrier to prudent use, sometimes
they do not.

Eric

>Could someone EMAIL me where I could get a copy of PGP for my Netcom
>account?  Thanks.  
>
>-- 
>     Mike Duvos         $    PGP 2.3a Public Key available    $
>     mpd@netcom.com     $    via Finger.                      $
>

ftp to soda.berkeley.edu and look in pub/cypherpunks

		-Pete