"greg pitz" writes:
In speaking with an associate, he mentioned in passing that PGP had been broken a few weeks ago in San Diego by the DoD using a Cray. All questioning about said subject was ended immediately as he felt that he might have said too much how it was. Was PGP "broken"?
How could you break "PGP" per se using lots of computer power? Its an encryption system, not a particular key. What would the Cray have been doing? Running an AI program trying to come up with new factoring algorithms? Now, I could believe that someone could break PGP -- perhaps by finding some weakness in the implementation of RSA, or the RNG, or maybe even a weakness in RSA itself. However, I have a great deal of trouble believing that PGP *itself* was broken "using a Cray". If it is going to be broken, it will be done using a few pounds of neurons fed by a blood supply (at least until real AIs are out there publishing math papers).
Could this be part of the reason the charges were dropped against Phil as well?
I doubt it. The statute of limitations was going to expire soon in any case. Perry