Common Scenarios

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Some example common communication scenarios:

 

•You want to have a private secure conversation with a stranger who you will never talk to again:

You open a query window and send a random query channel keyphrase FROM your ANONYMOUS key TO their ANONYMOUS key.

This approach is theoretically open to a man-in-the-middle attack, and you cannot be sure who you are talking to.

 

•You want to have a conversation with a friend who's key you've obtained previously:

You open a query window and send a random query channel keyphrase FROM one of your PERMANENT keys TO the PERMANENT key that you know them as.

Note that in this way, before you start your conversation you can both be absolutley sure that you are talking to the person who owns the keys you have acquired previously.

This approach is not open to a standard man-in-the-middle attack.

 

•You want to prove who you are:

You ask MPGP to authenticate you.  This engages an automatic handshake where you sign and send a message created by the receiver.  It is not susceptible to man-in-the-middle attack (again assuming that the receiver has previously acquired your key securely).  You can authenticate yourself to a stranger or a known friend.