Minutes - July 1996

Minutes of the
Williamsburg Internet Association Meeting:
July 18, 1996 7:00 pm

I. Call to Order and Welcome

President Kris Romero called the meeting to order and introduced the:

Association officers:

President: Kris Romero - krelk@widomaker.com
Vice President: Michael Dowden - mjdowden@panix.com
Treassurer: Vaughn Poller - vpolmac@widomaker.com
Corresponding Secretary: Ward Diehl - wmd@widomaker.com
Recording Secretary: Dana Metheny - metheny@widomaker.com

Committee Members:

Program Committee: Duncan McIver - dmciver@widomaker.com
Program Committee: Cathy Curtis - ccurtis@widomaker.com
Program Committee: Mary Sinclair - sinclair@widomaker.com
Technical Committee: Dana Metheny - metheny@widomaker.com

II. Main Program
"Privacy and Encryption on the Net"

Featuring David Bianco, from iTRiBE

Overview

1. What is Encryption?
2. Codes vs. Ciphers
3. Secret Key vs. Public Key
4. PGP

Why Internet Security?

Messages sent to one location can be intercepted before they arrive. Sending confidential information or credit card numbers over the net can be risky because programs exist that search e-mail for words like MasterCard or Visa and then capture text and numbers.

What is Encryption?

A transforming of data to make it readable to selected people and not to anyone else.

1. Plaintext (Cleartext) is the term for the original message.
2. Ciphertext is the term for the encrypted message.

Codes vs. Ciphers

1. Codes - the direct substitution of part of the cleartext via a codebook:
The plaid heron flies at midnight - the "codes" must be referenced in a codebook and require the direct transfer of a key, perhaps by a courier. This method of encryption is very limiting and is not widely used (military still uses it)

2. Ciphers - an algorithmic transposition (that is, the mathematical transformation) of parts of the cleartext
a. Secret Key ciphers: like a door lock, if you have the right key, you can read the message
b. Public Key ciphers: use different keys for encryption (public key) and decryption (private key)

PGP

This software program is a combination of public and private key systems. Messages are encrypted with a secure 128-bit private key, creating a one-time only session key. The recipient decrypts the message with a private key which only he has. PGP is built on the Web of Trust system where trust looks like a pyramid: secured by layers of people whom you trust, and those whom they trust etc., until the web, or layers reach the top person, who trusts no one:

Dave   Level 1

Michael                Peter    Level 2

Duncan    Gretchen       Brandi    Traci    Layer 3

Learn more about PGP by accessing the PGP FAQ

Note: the US government considers encryption programs as military munitions. These programs are included under ITAR export restrictions which state that they are not to be exported or carried out of the country in any manner. Importation is not restricted.

You can get a copy of PGP; learn how to use it; practice with it

i. load this URL to get a free copy of PGP (do it now) --> http://web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html

ii. it comes with a rudimentary electronic manual, but there are a variety of books that are far better at explaining PGP; my choice is "Protect Your Privacy - A Guide for PGP Users" by William Stallings, ISBN 0-13-185596-4

iii. we could arrange for WIA members to practice, with each other, sending and decoding PGP-encrypted e-mail. Let us know if you are interested.

NOTE: This is the site that US citizens are asked to use. It is completely legal to use PGP in accordance with the instructions that are included with it. It is given away free for non-commercial use. Commercial users must purchase a copy from Viacrypt <viacrypt@acm.org>, a software publisher.

Foreign PGP ftp sites include: ftp://ftp.ox.ac.uk/pub/crypto/pgp
ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/crypt
ftp://ftp.nl.net/pub/crypto/pgp

SSL - Secure Socket Layer: This is the standard for encryption over the World Wide Web (Netscape, telnet, IRC, etc.). This system provides unreadable signed messages between SSL-enabled clients and servers. Users can get personal IDs for the Netscape browser...documents are signed and a public key verifies the signature. SSL uses Certification Authority, not Web of Trust. Each user decides which CAs to trust, based on reputation.

In the future, users will be able to provide physical identification at the post office and obtain a digital key. This key will be used to "sign: legal documents over the Net with a digital signature.

III. Announcements

Membership to Williamsburg Internet Association: Membership is $10 per year for each unit, either an individual or a family unit. Membership entitles you to one vote per unit, and to be on the Majordomo mailing listserver. Members can get minutes, send and receive information to/from all other members.

Design the Williamsburg Internet Association Logo Contest! Bring your design(s) to the next meeting. The person who submits the design which is chosen to be the official logo will win one year's free membership to the Association! Get your artistic juices flowing!

IV. Question and Answer Session on
Getting Connected to the Internet

Q: What do people use the Internet for? Why should I get on it?

You can use it for research by accessing the Library of Congress, or institutions like the Franklin Institute Science Museum; art museums like Webmuseum, Paris; and educational web sites created by individual experts like The Viking Network
You can send email to old friends and new
You can join a special interest group for discussions on your favorite topics
You can have a long distance phone conversation for the price of a local call
Arrange a vacation, make reservations, or visit the location itself via their website, like the White House or hey, check out the City of Williamsburg
Join international educational sites and "teach" about something you know and love
Get the current news when you want it from services like Pointcast
Read online magazines for free, try CMP Media Inc. Online
Go shopping at online stores like LL Bean
Create a family web page
The opportunities are endless

What do you need to connect to the Internet?

Minimum requirements for a computer are: a 386/40 PC or LCII Mac
a 9600 baud modem (14.4 is better, 28.8 is faster yet)
An Internet Provider - contact by phone to set up an account

Once you are connected, you will need a browser (usually supplied by the Provider) such as Mosaic or Netscape. In Netscape, a tutorial can be found by pressing the HandBook button. You must be online to use the tutorial.

Search Engines will help you find specific web pages or usenet posts abut a designated subject. Try AltaVista and Yahoo. Different search engines will turn up different results, so use more than one.

Next Meeting

Thursday, August 15, at 7 P.M. at the Williamsburg Regional Library. The meeting will begin with breakout beginner and advanced user sessions followed by the featured speaker:

Dr. William Winter, who will talk about the
"Southeastern Virginia Regional Free-Net".

DISTRIBUTION:

These minutes (and other important announcements from the WIA) are being mailed to all members of the WIA majordomo mailing list. They will also be posted to the newsgroups:

comp.org.user-groups.meetings
va.general (a statewide newsgroup).
williamsburg.events (a local / regional group)

See you at the next meeting.

Minutes of the Williamsburg Internet Association Meeting: July 18, 1996 7:00 pm I. Call to Order and Welcome

II. Main Program "Privacy and Encryption on the Net"