From: snyderra@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu (Bob Snyder)
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 94 06:18:33 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: PGP on Multiuser machines
Message-ID: <aa9b54ef040210035ad1@DialupEudora>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 4:25 PM 9/12/94, SAMUEL KAPLIN wrote:

>It's highly doubtful that they could physically get to my computer without
>my knowledge. I service alarms for a living. I work for the company who
>monitors my alarm. I am the only person who knows the specs on my alarm. It
>would be pretty tough to conceal a court order to suspend the monitoring
>from me. Someone would tip me off.  Plus the system will communicate with
>me via 2 other methods that no one knows about. Pretty doubtful.

But they *could*.  It would involve a lot of work, but theoretically, they
could, right?  That still puts it in the catagory of "trade off."  Besides,
I suspect your situation isn't a common one. ;-)

>I guess it depends on your level of paranoia or guilt. :) If I was just
>putzing around with the software, then I wouldn't be too concerned. If I
>was actually doing something illegal or confidential with the software
>then I would be greatly concerned. But under no circumstances would I
>consider that arrangement secure. If the cops nail this guy, he has no one
>to blame but himself. He hanged his own ass.

I don't consider myself "putzing" around with the software.  Besides the
fact that the more encrypted messages are out there, the less "suspicious"
one becomes, I send things like credit card numbers and the like via email.
Nothing that would embarass me, but not something I like to have floating
around.

>Then you have the possibility of people sending you secure messages on a
>compromised key. (The one on the Unix Box) In most cases, its not the
>technology that nails you, it's human error. Take for example the recent

Good point.  Although I would hope that if I were doing something
nefarious, I would have smarter partners than that. :-)

Bob

--
Bob Snyder N2KGO                               MIME, PGP, RIPEM mail accepted
snyderra@post.drexel.edu                      PGP & RIPEM keys on key servers
         When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.