From: Matt Blaze <mab@research.att.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 95 15:37:57 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: ESP Unix encrypted session protocol software
Message-ID: <9501312336.AA11049@merckx.info.att.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>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