If I am not mistaken, digital signatures are an advanced form of public
key encryption. In order to open a digitally signed document, you must
possess the public key associated with the document as well as your own
private key as well. Some software takes away a little of all of this
confusion, but basically, you have to know who you are sending it to,
and the receiving party has to know that he is getting it. PGP stands
for Pretty Good Privacy which is a software company that does exactly
what I said about the keys and helps with the confusion. The main
purpose for digital signatures is for verifying that the person who
claims to be sending the message is the actual person sending the
message. Also, I could digitally sign an executable virus and send it to
you to run and mess up your computer, the only difference is that you
would know without a doubt that it came from me.
gordon
99 R/T black rc
>From: WillTier@aol.com
>Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 20:45:34 EST
>To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
>Subject: Re: DML: [Fwd: [Fwd: Fwd: Serious Virus warning]]
>Reply-To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
>
>In a message dated 12/28/98 3:46:55 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>stei0302@cs.fredonia.edu writes:
>
><< One big clue as to wether
> a warning is real or not is that any real warnings will be digitally
> (PGP) signed by the sender. >>
>
>What this mean ?
>
>Bill, Da Computer Dummy
>
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