From: schirado@lab.cc.wmich.edu (Schirado)
Date: Wed, 4 May 94 21:42:42 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Keyserver service outage
Message-ID: <9405050442.AA23076@lab.cc.wmich.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


>During the coming week, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will
>begin formally distributing PGP 2.5, a new version of PGP that is
>based on the RSAREF 2.0 cryptographic toolkit, under license from RSA
>Data Security, Inc., dated March 16, 1994.  When that distribution
>becomes available, the keyserver will return running PGP 2.5.  At that
>time, the keyserver will no longer accept keys that are identified as
>having been created by versions of PGP lower than 2.4.  (PGP 2.4 is
>Viacrypt PGP.)

Questions:

1) What involvement, if any, does Phil Zimmermann have in the creation
of this "new version of PGP"?

2) Will "PGP 2.5" continue to be freeware; i.e., has RSA changed its
stance on licensing?

3) If the answer to 2 is "yes", has the strength of the encryption
been compromised in any fashion?

4) Isn't this some sort of transparent "back door" grab by some
unknown person(s) as a method of encouraging people to switch by
fostering the belief that versions of PGP lower than 2.4 are somehow
illegal or otherwise illegitimate?

(The last is only semi-sarcastic.)

Basically, I think I speak for a hefty chunk of list subscribers when
I say: 

I want to know who's behind this.