Using single subkey for both signing and encryption?

[gpg.mexon]

Hi, I just have a basic question about subkeys.  When I create an RSA
subkey I only have the option to create one for signing or encryption,
not both.  Why is that?  There's nothing different about the keys
themselves, is there?  Is there supposed to be some increased security
to doing it this way?



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[John Clizbe-2]

gpg.mexon@... wrote:
> Hi, I just have a basic question about subkeys.  When I create an RSA
> subkey I only have the option to create one for signing or encryption,
> not both.  Why is that?  There's nothing different about the keys
> themselves, is there?  Is there supposed to be some increased security
> to doing it this way?

Given that the underlying mathematics is the same for encryption and signing,
only in reverse, if an attacker can convince a key holder to sign an unformatted
encrypted message using the same key then she gets the original.


--
John P. Clizbe                      Inet:John (a) Mozilla-Enigmail.org
You can't spell fiasco without SCO. hkp://keyserver.gingerbear.net  or
     mailto:pgp-public-keys@...?subject=HELP

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A:"An odd melody / island voices on the winds / surplus of vowels"



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