Encryption

[Derek Bell]

In message <3226ADC6.6C87 at gte.net>, Dale Thorn writes:
>It appears to me that PGP encryption et al is really 1940's technology, 
>albeit fancied up by 1990's computers. 

	1940s cyphers all had a secret key. Said key had to be forwarded to
the recipient, usually via a courier. PGP doesn't need this. It is a hybrid
system using IDEA to encrypt the message with a random session key and RSA to
encrypt the session key. It also offers digital signatures, something 1940s
cyphers didn't. 

	Your proposal, however, looks as if it is impossible for the recipient
to decrypt the message!

	Derek Bell