I realize that this is a few days old, but I've been up to my eye-teeth with other network problems and using this dreary Saturday afternoon to catch up on Net News. Cheers. Forwarded message:
Newsgroups: alt.security From: hugh@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Hugh Miller) Subject: ViaCrypt PGP ships today Message-ID: <hugh.752165605@gargoyle> Sender: news@uchinews.uchicago.edu (News System) Organization: University of Chicago -- Academic & Public Computing Date: Mon, 1 Nov 1993 14:53:25 GMT Lines: 61
ViaCrypt, Inc., will begin shipping ViaCrypt PGP today, 1 November 1993. ViaCrypt PGP is a commercial public-key encryption package which is based on, and virtually identical with, the freeware program known as PGP, or `Pretty Good Privacy.' (The source code is in fact identical to that of the freeware version 2.3a of PGP, with the exception of the RSA encryption module, which is one ViaCrypt developed in-house after acquiring a license for the algorithm from PKPartners. In addition, ViaCrypt incorporates a few bug fixes. The private-key crypto algorithm is IDEA, as in freeware PGP, for which ViaCrypt has obtained a license from Ascom-Tech AG of Zurich.) ViaCrypt bought its RSA license from PKP before either PKP or ViaCrypt knew that ViaCrypt would someday use it to sell PGP. ViaCrypt later acquired the rights to sell PGP from Phil Zimmermann. I don't know what PKP thinks of this state of affairs, but ViaCrypt's PKP license clearly allows them to sell PGP.
Output is byte-for-byte identical with that of freeware PGP 2.3a, except that the `Version' header atop the message body reads "Version: 2.4" instead of "Version: 2.3a". Keys, signature certificates, binary or ASCII-armored ciphertexts, produced by one program will be identical to, and transparently handled by, the other. ViaCrypt PGP will (for now) be available in the US and Canada only, pending any future relaxation of the ITAR export control laws. Phil Zimmermann says no compromises in the cryptographic strength of PGP were made for ViaCrypt's version of PGP.
The ViaCrypt PGP package include program disks (executables only, no source code), user manual, and individual user license. The current release will be for MS-DOS only; ViaCrypt plans to ship a UNIX version soon. Introductory price of a single user package is US$100. (For purchases of 20 units or more, a substantial discount -- price drops to about US$41 per user -- is available.)
To purchase ViaCrypt PGP or to find out more about it, you can contact them as follows:
ViaCrypt 2104 W. Peoria Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85029 USA 602-944-0773 (Voice) 602-943-2601 (FAX) 70304.41@compuserve.com (Netmail)
I have no connection with ViaCrypt, commercial or otherwise. Indeed, I disagree in principle with the concept of algorithm patents. I think, though, that the net, and particularly users and admirers of the freeware PGP deserve to hear about this. Because ViaCrypt paid PKP for a license, users of ViaCrypt can now utilize PGP with absolutely no fear of lawsuit for patent infringement. Since ViaCrypt will ship only in USA/Canada, ITAR violations are not at issue. This will enable the PGP approach, with its decentralized distributed-trust key management, to achieve crucial penetration into the corporate marketplace. This will speed its acceptance as the de facto email crypto standard, as opposed to other centralized or key-escrow schemes, like PEM or Clipper. And ViaCrypt PGP will enable U.S. users to communicate completely legally with non-U.S. users of PGP 2.3a.
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Hugh Miller | Asst. Prof. of Philosophy | Loyola University Chicago FAX: 312-508-2292 | Voice: 312-508-2727 | hmiller@lucpul.it.luc.edu PGP 2.3A Key fingerprint: FF 67 57 CC 0C 91 12 7D 89 21 C7 12 F7 CF C5 7E
_____________________________________________________________________________ Paul Ferguson Mindbank Consulting Group fergp@sytex.com Fairfax, Virginia USA ferguson@icp.net