-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- buckley@wti.com writes :
[continuing thread on ease of cracking DES/PEM]
Using a comparable breaker on the average machine, it is going to take two years to "break the scheme". That leaves two years to create stronger/tighter strategies. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Concerns about the validity about the 'two years' figure aside, does this really 'leave you two years?' The technology to store messages (even ones currently uncrackable) has been online for years already- unless your encrypted data is such that you don't mind having it examined by anybody with a DES cracker, you are already at risk. In terms of careers, legal action, and politics, a two-year event horizon is negligible. As advances in computer power continue, the 'two-year' figure will continue to shrink. Taking the long view, I view the PEM/DES debate as virtually identical to the Clipper debate; Clipper's 'trap door' mindset is more overt, but getting everbody involved in PEM/DES when the cracking technology is clearly in sight is no better. - -- ........................................................................ Philippe D. Nave, Jr. | The person who does not use message encryption pdn@dwroll.dw.att.com | will soon be at the mercy of those who DO... Denver, Colorado USA | PGP public key: by arrangement. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.3a iQCVAgUBLU6UHwvlW1K2YdE1AQGG4gQAqM+LthMCzEo3T2O+fLhKih8uNYUoHhvK 6zvDWjW2PW/t/N7TdWpA2oJ2dVmpABa3ENeNvju0qrEW91CVoU5JwBMHiCxSTrOn wtK4fcQ7m+GBvvoLO6WW5tr+FZcVluzZbJrIcnaLQVWqP/P5Bmfjspd/GfROAduX /oR4u9pFSvk= =O5HV -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----