ESP Unix encrypted session protocol software

Matt Blaze mab at research.att.com
Tue Jan 31 15:37:57 PST 1995


>Matt, why did you choose to implement your own protocol instead of
>adding a DH authentication/encryption type to telnet?
>
>               Marc

I've got one of those, too (it won't be ready for release too soon, 
though - telnet is big and ugly).  An encrypting telnet and telnetd
almost always provide a more appropriate way to do session encryption.
However, there are some situations where ESM is really the only
option.  One is when you can't or don't want to install a daemon
(e.g., for very occasional use).  More importantly, by running within
the session, ESM can provide end-to-end encryption across an untrusted
application-layer firewall (like the one I go through to get
between home and work).

Since part of my motivation for working on these tools comes from 
wanting to use them myself, I'm building the stuff I need the most
first.

-matt






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