At 12:13 AM 4/9/96 -0700, Steve Reid wrote:
Is it really that easy to break 40-bit? Don't you need access to a "fair amount of cpu power" to brute force crack 40bit?
I remember reading a recent paper at this URL: http://theory.lcs.mit.edu/~rivest/bsa-final-report.ascii They mentioned a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), specifically a board-mounted AT&T Orca chip available for around $400. They said it could crack a 40-bit key in 5 hours (average). Sounds like anyone with root access on a major internet node could make a significant profit stealing credit card numbers.
The FPGA sounds like a very interesting device, with quite a few legitimate uses... Has anyone out there seen one of these?
I was hoping a hardware type would answer this question, and give references to manufacture's spec sheets, but not having seen such an answer, here is a software person's answer. Gate arrays are a common part of complex electronics. If you are viewing this answer on a screen, it is quite probable that there is one right before your nose. They come in two basic forms, mask programmed and field programmed. Mask programmed gate arrays are an array of logic gates, which are "programmed" to an application by a final metalization layer. They are quite inexpensive when ordered in quantity. Field Programmed Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are designed for prototyping designs, and can programmed electrically. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bill Frantz | The CDA means | Periwinkle -- Computer Consulting (408)356-8506 | lost jobs and | 16345 Englewood Ave. frantz@netcom.com | dead teenagers | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA