Re: ESP Unix encrypted session protocol software

>Matt, why did you choose to implement your own protocol instead of
>adding a DH authentication/encryption type to telnet?
>
>               Marc

I've got one of those, too (it won't be ready for release too soon, 
though - telnet is big and ugly).  An encrypting telnet and telnetd
almost always provide a more appropriate way to do session encryption.
However, there are some situations where ESM is really the only
option.  One is when you can't or don't want to install a daemon
(e.g., for very occasional use).  More importantly, by running within
the session, ESM can provide end-to-end encryption across an untrusted
application-layer firewall (like the one I go through to get
between home and work).

Since part of my motivation for working on these tools comes from 
wanting to use them myself, I'm building the stuff I need the most
first.

-matt

> >Matt, why did you choose to implement your own protocol instead of
> >adding a DH authentication/encryption type to telnet?
> >
> >               Marc
> 
> I've got one of those, too (it won't be ready for release too soon, 
> though - telnet is big and ugly).  An encrypting telnet and telnetd
> almost always provide a more appropriate way to do session encryption.
> However, there are some situations where ESM is really the only
> option.  One is when you can't or don't want to install a daemon
> (e.g., for very occasional use).  More importantly, by running within
> the session, ESM can provide end-to-end encryption across an untrusted
> application-layer firewall (like the one I go through to get
> between home and work).

I might add that esm can be installed on unix boxes in your own account
without having to be root, something which cannot be said for telnetd.
Not everyone has root access to every box they are on, so implementing
one's own interface instead of having to rely on something that requires
root access on every machine makes a lot more sense.
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