Re: Mac encryption (sym vs pk)

["strick -- strick AT versant DOT com -- henry strickland" <strick@osc.versant.com>]

tcmay:
# The problem with symmetrical ciphers is one of *scaling*.
# 
# Since a key must be exchanged with each other person, the total number
# of keys growns rapidly as the community of participants increases. At

Russell Brand has observed that many people only send PGP mail to
people with whom they have personally exchanged keys -- that even the
"web of trust" idea is not used as much as the "personal key exchange" idea.

In this case, a single symmetric key exchange transaction between two
friends is is no more cumbersome than the PGP "i'll sign you mine 
if you'll sign me yours".

I have thought seriously about a revival of symmetric key exchange,
with the look and feel of a PGP key signing session, but without
the transitive effect and without the legal hassles.   

					<strick>