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struggle4progress

(118,355 posts)
Mon Jun 10, 2013, 10:52 AM Jun 2013

The curious case of Snowden's cryptographic key

... Snowden ... also asked that The Post publish online a cryptographic key that he could use to prove to a foreign embassy that he was the document’s source ...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/snowden-made-cautious-approach-to-post-reporter-said-he-knew-the-risk-hes-taking/2013/06/09/8b5da450-d17b-11e2-9577-df9f1c3348f5_story.html
Snowden made cautious approach to Post reporter, said he knew the risk he’s taking
By Associated Press, Published: June 9
Updated: Monday, June 10, 7:35 AM


6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The curious case of Snowden's cryptographic key (Original Post) struggle4progress Jun 2013 OP
What 'foreign embassy', I wonder? randome Jun 2013 #1
look, i'm telling you arely staircase Jun 2013 #2
That's possible struggle4progress Jun 2013 #4
Are you asking for a technical translation? That part, at least, makes a lot of sense. Recursion Jun 2013 #3
The technical part isn't what I find curious struggle4progress Jun 2013 #5
Ah, edited version makes your question more clear Recursion Jun 2013 #6
 

randome

(34,845 posts)
1. What 'foreign embassy', I wonder?
Mon Jun 10, 2013, 10:53 AM
Jun 2013

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
[hr]

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
3. Are you asking for a technical translation? That part, at least, makes a lot of sense.
Mon Jun 10, 2013, 10:57 AM
Jun 2013

He wants his public key put out there so he can digitally sign other documents and people can verify that he's the one sending things.

For instance, if I give you this public key:


-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.12 (GNU/Linux)
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=UuPX
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----


Then I could take the associated private key (which I won't give to you, or anyone else), and use it to sign an electronic file. You could then use a program to verify that it was in fact Recursion at DU (that's the identity I put into the key) who sent you that file.
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