-- [ From: amp * EMC.Ver #2.3 ] -- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- From: John Curtis \ Internet: (jbell@capecod.net) To: amp \ Internet: (alan.pugh@internetmci.com) Subject: RE: using pgp to make an otp JC> I was confused and answered a question you didn't ask. I guess you JC> can use PGP to generate a set of pseudorandom numbers. I'm not sure JC> that this would be different from using the IDEA cypher (the JC> underlying PGP cypher) to generate random numbers. I am also not JC> convinced that this would be quicker or cheaper than any number of JC> other mechanisms. JC> If I really wanted a true one-time pad, I'm inclined to explore the JC> thermal noise of a zener diode. isn't the noise generated by such a diode more accurately described as chaotic rather than random? i would think that there might be potential problems with using chaos as a random number source. it might be somewhat less random than you may think as most chaotic system's 'noise' operates within definable parameters. (like a lorenz system). i _would_ think that it would act as a most excellent prng, but exactly how _truely_ random it actually would be i couldn't say. while it may not be _truely_ random, it would most likely be cryptographically secure though. i think generating _true_ randomness is pretty difficult without measuring something similar to radioactive decay. the system that i proposed setting up is, admittedly, a p-otp at best. i'm much more convinced of this than i was when i initially proposed it. the comments i've gotten on it were most enlightening. amp <0003701548@mcimail.com> (since 10/31/88) <alan.pugh@internetmci.com> PGP Key = 57957C9D PGP FP = FA 02 84 7D 82 57 78 E4 E2 1C 7B 88 62 A6 F9 F7 November 9, 1995 11:41 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQEVAwUBMKIvRIdTfgZXlXydAQG0zAf/Y0qX8X6mFa932Egm0PdBZr4RCBHqPccx 5Nb5KZi1jQPRFnoAoEgU6Z6P+SLWCGhZisn1UxvlD2eX6HbbPB/B0mHReoWw/qp2 hI7rWCn+JtSwUvxeno88zFmZ/AreAukm8LNi/PdJp+5lunDgclrOWoR5BklglqT8 iE2nxd6dhbUEKUYXzsN6yEXDRl/tUDiriEVev2YhttTZuyUg9krMa32VtyxyUCeB UfhidSjgwkNkSO3QQaHVHUCby8NHQJPRdKR4ym8tDfFjNXxieUQKwxi8r/0ofo5g 1UxtBwJICd+/LxOZovtKGYDqHJc4vPRqdY7x4VbTff0FM4i4W0ZpUQ== =6ty1 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----