“Privacy issues are becoming public concerns as Internet
privacy is increasingly turning up on the evening news. More people
are becoming aware of the vulnerability of their computer files
because of things like hard-drive excavations by private and public
investigators, who routinely dig through e-mail and other
archives once thought to be far beyond the reach of any curious
eyes.”
“And entrepreneurs are betting that as soon as mainstream
computer users realize their vulnerability, they will rush to sign
up for privacy products….”
“Many companies have also published the code that lies behind
their programs — open-source code — so that the programming can
be reviewed by other technical experts. Among those that have
open-source philosophies are Hush Communications, Zero-Knowledge,
PrivacyX and Network Associates, which now owns the P.G.P.
software.”
“Meeting the technical expectations of the cryptography crowd
while creating a simple product for consumers can be a challenge.
Computer experts get a charge out of exposing security holes in
systems that hold themselves up to be fail-safe and are constantly
searching for signs of missteps.”