[App_rpt-users] Asterisk over Amateur Radio Backhaul

I saw the following line in one of Jim Duuude's replies yesterday about the Raspberry Pi:

Also, there is some random poopy about the crypto libraries under that distro, which *may* require using Asterisk version 1.6 instead of the "normal" distro"

I might remember seeing something about it before, but judging by that sentence it seems Asterisk uses encryption in its interconnections. Is this correct? How would this factor into using repurposed WLAN equipment under Part 97 as backhaul for asterisk/app_rpt? Can the system be run without the use of encryption? Thanks, Brett KQ9N