PGP key signing!

Sun Feb 14 18:44:21 PST 2010

There will be a PGP key-signing held during the BayLISA Meeting on Thursday Feb. 18, 2010 from 7:00pm to 10:00pm at LinkedIn, 2029 Stierlin Ct. Mountain View, CA 94043.

What's a key-signing party?

A key-signing party is a get-together with PGP users for the purpose
of meeting other PGP users and signing each other's keys. This helps
to extend the "web of trust" to a great degree. Also, it sometimes
serves as a forum to discuss strong cryptography and related issues.

How it works:

      1. Physical attendance
      2. Print your fingerprint, and key ID onto paper, you should be able to get quite a few on a page, 
          which you can then cut into slips.
      3. Bring the slips and credentials that prove your identity to the key signing party. Normally parties 
          require you to bring credentials that include a photo (e.g. your passport or drivers license).
      4. Verify in person, the identity of anybody you accept a slip from.
      5. Verify the key fingerprints of your acquaintances:  Once home, using the id from each slip, 
          download and verify the fingerprint of each person's key.
      6. Sign each of the verified keys, upload them to a keyserver
      7. Use PGP!

Why should I use PGP?

You should use PGP, if you need (or want) to protect your personal
data from being read by individuals or entities other than your
intended recipient(s). PGP, when used correctly, can provide message
privacy, message integrity, message authentication, and to some
degree non-repudibility.

OK. What are some good applications of PGP?

Whole disk encryption, protection of AIM or email traffic of a sensitive nature, such as the
coordination of response to ongoing security incidents, requests
for DNS modifications, requests for networking changes and exchange
of sensitive personal information like SSNs. At the very least, it
would be useful to have all such messages signed, so the recipients
could be sure that the notes were not forged.

Please forward this note to anyone who may be interested in
attending.

--
Louis Kowolowski                                louisk at cryptomonkeys.org
Cryptomonkeys:                      http://www.cryptomonkeys.org/~louisk

Making life more interesting for people since 1977