At 11:12 AM 3/24/94 -0500, TCJones(_at_)dockmaster(_dot_)ncsc(_dot_)mil wrote:
Some self promoting newbie wrote:
The use of a freeware software utility called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)
has caused some difficulties as well. Since PGP has already found its
way overseas and has gained some popularity, in particular because US
digital signature software has not been easily exportable. In the
United States, many organizations are reluctant to use PGP because of
its questionable patent status. In addition, its author, Phil
Zimmermann, is under investigation for possible export violations.
These problems have kept organizations from adopting PGP as a standard.
ViaCrypt PGP is a fully licensed commercial version that has been
available since November of last year on both PC and UNIX platforms. If
you want more information about it call Dave Barnhart at 602-944-0773.
Tom,
You quoted my paragraph out of context--the purpose of my article was to
let people know of the significance of the two announcements on RIPEM/SIG
and RSAREF.
I am aware of ViaCrypt, however, even though it is a "fully licensed
version" it is not a not the solution for the future that I feel that the
combination of RIPEM and RSAREF has potential to be. In particular, the
ability to use RSAREF source toolbox to create tools and integrate PEM
functionality in other apps is something that Viacrypt can't offer now. The
free availability to end-users of the basic implementation of RIPEM is also
something ViaCrypt can't offer. And I've not seen a Mac version of Viacrypt
yet nor announcements of other platform implementations.
If Viacrypt starts offering a source code toolkit on similar license terms
that RSAREF is offered (to integrate that capability into the applications
that PEM-DEV users on this list are creating), offers a free version of
Viacrypt that is exportable, and makes more cross-platform versions (such
as a Mac reference version), that is significant enough that I'd be glad to
write an article about you!
In addition, that Viacrypt is a legitimate version of PGP I don't deny, but
I also feel that Viacrypt has not emerged as the "heir-apparent" to PGP. I
have not seen any organizations or individuals using it in lieu of PGP
(though I do not deny that some must exist), nor have I seen much
discussion of it online. RIPEM, on the other hand, now appears to have the
ability to unseat PGP as the common reference public-key implementation.
(For those of you who may have missed my original article, it is located at
ftp://netcom7.netcom.com/pub/consensus/text/Two_Updates_Dig_Sig.txt. An
HTML version should be ready by next week at
ftp://netcom7.netcom.com/pub/consensus/www/Two_Updates_Dig_Sig.html)
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