<p>+1!<br>
I have a growing list of stuff I do just for having the practical skills of doing them. I practice all as often as possible. PGP/GNUPG key skills are good to have when needed. Just like emergency first aid and CPR, it requires practice. </p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Oct 23, 2011 1:09 AM, "Michael H. Warfield" <<a href="mailto:mhw@wittsend.com">mhw@wittsend.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
On Fri, 2011-10-21 at 20:38 -0400, Jim Lynch wrote:<br>
> On 10/21/2011 02:06 PM, Michael Trausch wrote:<br>
> ><br>
> > I would like to know if anyone has any interest in doing a PGP<br>
> > keysigning get-together. My motivation is, of course, that I need<br>
> > signatures on my key. :)<br>
> ><br>
> > Would anyone else be interested?<br>
> ><br>
> ><br>
> I hate to be the dissenting member but why? I don't understand what we<br>
> information we interchange amongst us that need such security. If we<br>
> were collaborating on some top secret project then sure, but I haven't<br>
> seen any topic that merits this level of security.<br>
><br>
> I thought we were a bunch of individuals that were interested in Linux<br>
> and wanted to share our experiences, or were looking for assistance with<br>
> respect to Linux not extremest radicals wanting to take over the world.<br>
><br>
> I have no reason to communicate with anyone on this list any information<br>
> that I wouldn't what someone else to view. Is everyone as paranoid as<br>
> Aaron?<br>
><br>
> Not that I don't want it to happen, but what's the point? I'm not Aaron.<br>
<br>
All of my preceding rant aside, I totally forgot the most important<br>
point and the number one most important reason...<br>
<br>
This happened just recently on this list with someone asking for help.<br>
It ended up that they contacted me with confidential details which could<br>
not be communicated in an open forum or in unencrypted communications.<br>
They send it to me encrypted to my PGP keys which are well known and<br>
well established throughout the community. I was able to read their<br>
message and respond. I responded to their keys.<br>
<br>
Oh, then they find out they no longer have the secret key to their<br>
public key (presumably) because of a backup bobble and they could not<br>
read my response. Now they have to create new keys and start everything<br>
again from scratch. Not good. Very not good when you are in a bind and<br>
you NEED them. There are times when you need this the most and you need<br>
to get it right have have it work from first principles the first time<br>
and screwups are costly.<br>
<br>
The point is this... We do this to use and practice our encryption<br>
practices. Otherwise, when it comes to needing them, we WILL FAIL. I<br>
use my keys every day. I work with cryptography every day. The rest<br>
(most) of you do not. How do you know you will know what to do and to<br>
do it right if you have not done it before and practiced it? This is<br>
what this is. It's re-enforcing the entire infrastructure and it's<br>
practicing the procedures that need to be followed.<br>
<br>
The Ham operators have it right. A Haiti incident comes very rarely and<br>
few are involved. A Katrina incident is a bit more common and far more<br>
are involved. But we practice on our nets and we take classes and we go<br>
through these exercises time and time again so, when the time comes we<br>
just KNOW what to do. I will probably NEVER be involved in a Haiti or<br>
Katrina type incident in my entire life, but I will know how to react<br>
and how to deal and know what to do.<br>
<br>
You want a single reason why? That's it. So we practice and exercise<br>
and we know what to do so we can do it when we need it. The time to<br>
learn is NOT the time when you need it and you will never be able to<br>
predict if you will need it or when you will need it.<br>
<br>
That's the main reason. All other reasons aside as mere icing on the<br>
cake, that one reason is reason enough. So that we are prepared when<br>
the time comes that we need it. That's reason enough.<br>
<br>
> Jim.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
Mike<br>
--<br>
Michael H. Warfield (AI4NB) | <a href="tel:%28770%29%20985-6132" value="+17709856132">(770) 985-6132</a> | mhw@WittsEnd.com<br>
/\/\|=mhw=|\/\/ | <a href="tel:%28678%29%20463-0932" value="+16784630932">(678) 463-0932</a> | <a href="http://www.wittsend.com/mhw/" target="_blank">http://www.wittsend.com/mhw/</a><br>
NIC whois: MHW9 | An optimist believes we live in the best of all<br>
PGP Key: 0x674627FF | possible worlds. A pessimist is sure of it!<br>
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<br></blockquote></div>