From: "Ric V. Carvalho" <gandalf@waverly.net>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 17:49:54 -0700 (PDT)
To: "'cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: PGP security?
Message-ID: <l03130302b1dbf4637964@[205.159.233.103]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Hello all,
A friend and I have been going around about the security of PGP.
I believe it to be unbreakable at this point in time.  I also recall
recently reading an article which stated that to break a PGP encrypted
message, using today's technology, unlimited computer core availability,
unlimited $$$, it would take the lifetime of 200 Suns.

What is the security of PGP?  How secure is it?  Are there backdoors that
you know of?
Does the govt. possess any kind of keys capable of opening a PGP encrypted
message?

Thanks in advance for your time and attention.
-Ric

Below is a message I received today concerning what my friend believes
about PGP.
Does anyone know anything to substantiate this claim?
*************************Message Separator********************************

Hi again ric,
PGP stands for "Pretty Good Privacy" (you know that).. but it called
"PRETTY GOOD" because it has several back doors for LEO and government
agencies... I have a masters degree in Electrical Engineering with a
minor in Software design... I think I know a little about computers
also.  While at WVU, we routinely broke PGP messages in Under 2 hours.
The government can open them with their key as fast as you can open them
with yours.  Just a fact... since it aint bullet proof, Camoflage your
messages.
-War