From: Walter Burton <wburton@pipestream.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 06:33:18 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: RE: PGP Disk for free??
Message-ID: <013D438ED22ED2119F630060082F763C0DD608@kenny.pipestream.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anonymous [mailto:nobody@replay.com]
> Sent: Thursday, December 17, 1998 2:42 PM
> To: cypherpunks@toad.com
> Subject: 
> 
> 
> McAfee has announced that they are giving away the commercial 
> version of PGP 6.0.2 for free for a limited time.  It also 
> includes PGP Disk, which creates virtual encrypted drives.  
> PGP 6.0.2 also claims to have anti-TEMPEST protection, by 
> using a special font.  My question is: what's the catch?

They feel guilty 'cause there was a flaw in previous versions of PGP
Disk.  It's a gesture of good will.

> It is a fact that Network Associates (McAfee's owner) is a 
> member of the Key Recovery Aliance.  Is the decision to give 
> the software away part of something that's not being said 
> (i.e. reduced security) 

The source for 5.x is freely available, and I expect the source for (at
least the free versions of) 6.x will soon be.  Now, as far as I'm aware,
the source for PGP Disk is not yet available, and probably won't be,
since that's a commercial product.  Not that that's a GOOD reason ;).

> or did I spend $39.99 on PGP and an 
> additional $39.99 on PGP Disk for no reason because it would 
> become available for free two weeks later?

Bingo.  Perhaps they'll give you a refund!

> And, has anyone tested the anti-TEMPEST features in PGP 6.0.2?

Not I.  That would take some serious equipment!  I doubt even Phil
Zimmerman or Network Associates has tested it thoroughly.  Throughout
the online help regarding the Secure Viewer and Tempest attacks, they
use phrases like "MAY reduce levels of radio frequency emissions" and
"MAY make it harder for the signals to be remotely detected" (my
emphasis).

---
Walter S. Burton <mailto:wburton@pipestream.com>
For my PGP public key, send a message with the subject "get public key."
Fingerprint: 3E28 7C81 536C 92FE ED01  6B70 0E37 DB49 9F6C 8DF8