I need a portable GUI for GnuPG

Robert J. Hansen rjh at sixdemonbag.org
Mon Jul 7 22:38:17 CEST 2008


reynt0 wrote:
> FWIW as a generaI comment because I haven't looked at the
> prog in question:  Aren't on-screen keyboards and similar
> vulnerable to sniffers of video memory?

Don't know, don't care.

This entire discussion is analogous to talking about the pros and cons 
of bringing a condom with you on a trip to Zimbabwe.

Your best defense against disease is to not expose yourself to disease 
vectors.  The instant a person says "well, it's okay to have a one-night 
stand with a random person in Zimbabwe, because after all, I've got a 
condom" is the instant I stand up and walk away.  You see, I'm allergic 
to folly and I need to find an epipen before anaphylaxis sets in.

Your best defense against malware is to not expose yourself to it.  This 
much is plainly obvious.  The instant a person says "well, it's okay to 
use a portable GnuPG on a USB token and plug it into random public 
kiosks which are probably malware-infested, because after all, I'm using 
anti-keylogger software" is the instant I dial 911, because I don't 
think the epipen is gonna save me.

I am not opposed to portable applications.  If you regularly walk around 
from one trusted machine to another to another, like I do in my daily 
work, then it can be handy and safe to have apps preinstalled on a 
portable drive.

But the way some people are talking about using it ... it just unnerves 
me.  Badly.




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