OpenPGP Alliance omits PGP Security

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/8/19302.html

By John Leyden
Posted: 30/05/2001 at 11:58 GMT

An organisation formed to promote compatibility between different
implementations of OpenPGP standard does not include Network
Associates, which is the main supplier of PGP-based encryption
products for business.

The OpenPGP Alliance, which was founded by PGP creator Phil
Zimmermann, doesn't include Network Associates, whose PGP Security
division owns the source code and trademark for the popular PGP
encryption package first developed by Zimmermann in 1991.

Zimmermann left Network Associates (NAI) earlier this year after an
argument about publishing the source code of PGP, which he believed
was the only way to prove to the encryption community that the
software was secure.

After disagreeing with management on this matter of principle
Zimmermann left NIA to join Hush Communications as its chief
cryptographer and promote the OpenPGP standard.

OpenPGP, a non-proprietary protocol for encrypting email using public
key cryptography based on the PGP program, was submitted to the
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in 1997. By becoming an IETF
standard (RFC 2440), OpenPGP may be implemented by any company without
paying any licensing fees.

Founder member of the OpenPGP Alliance include Qualcomm as well as
security firms Hush Communications, SSH Communications Security, and
Zero-Knowledge Systems.

Zimmermann said "by co-operating to ensure that different secure email
systems work together, companies do not have to feel they are going it
alone".

Interoperability between different encryption packages is an important
issue and so formation of the OpenPGP Alliance is welcome but the lack
of involvement of Network Associates could be a stumbling block in the
future.



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