From: Marc Horowitz <marc@MIT.EDU>
Date: Wed, 24 Feb 93 11:42:15 PST
To: treason@gnu.ai.mit.edu
Subject: Re: a project for those who like it
In-Reply-To: <9302241812.AA12695@spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu>
Message-ID: <9302241940.AA21343@tla.MIT.EDU>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>> I have been working on an idea or a secure chat system for internet
>> and have up with some ideas.

A system such as this already exists at MIT.  It's called zephyr.
Currently, it uses kerberos (private-key) for authentication, and uses
cleartext, but the system just pushes around bits.  There's no reason
a message couldn't be a public key encrypted message.  ACLs already
exist (based on the kerberos authentication), but the system is
capable of supporting well over a thousand simultaneous clients, so
they might not be necessary.  The protocol is based on UDP, and is
well-documented.  Unix and macintosh clients exist; there are PC
clients in development.

If people want more information (up to and including the technical
papers), look on athena-dist.mit.edu (it's a mail server, too).  Or,
I'll be happy to discuss it on the list.

		Marc