Re: 25 Crays a Year to Break STT

Microsoft said its Secure Transaction Technology (STT), was designed to provide a much higher level of security for credit card transactions on the Internet. Netscape's general purpose encryption system uses a 40 or 128-bit electronic "key", while STT will use 2,000-bit keys. Sigh. Apples and oranges, and they know it. .... Although no encryption system was totally secure, Mr Dent estimated it would take "25 Cray supercomputers a year" to break the STT codes.

So how much work can 25 Crays do in a year? Crack single-DES? Maybe RC4/64? #--- # Bill Stewart, Freelance Information Architect, stewarts@ix.netcom.com # Phone +1-510-247-0664 Pager/Voicemail 1-408-787-1281 #---