22. PGP (Pretty Good Privacy)
22.1. Introduction
PGP is another secure mail protocol. It started out as a single public-domain implementation that was, in the words of Phil Zimmermann, the original author, guerrilla freeware. It was the author's intention that it be distributed widely (anyone with a copy is invited to send copies to friends; copies can also be obtained from a bunch of Internet FTP sites). Unfortunately, both RSADSI, by enforcing the RSA patent, and government authorities, by enforcing export control of dangerous technologies like nuclear weapons and the ability to encrypt mail, caused PGP to start its life as contraband. Its history is colorful, serving as a test case in a number of legal challenges to U.S. export laws. We recommend ...
Get Network Security: Private Communication in a Public World, Second Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
