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Teledyne (TET) is out marketing a "new" crypto system as a competitor against DES and what TET calls "linear" cryptosystems. They are claiming a non-linear approach in which (as best I can tell) they are permuting the s-boxes and using 4 bit/16 entry substitution tables.

They are also asserting that these "key generated substitution tables and inter-round permutations" are supported by "nonlinear orthomorphic mappings generated from arbitrary key" (and that this is patented) and "row-complete Latin Squares generated from an arbitrary key" (and that this is also patented).

The claimed benefits include being invulnerable to differential and "linear" cryptanalysis, no linear key/data interaction to hide, that this results in the tables and permutations being "transient/secret," and that fewer rounds are needed (fewer than what, I don't know) to attain "resistance to cryptanalysis."

This explanation is so laced with nonsensical buzzwords that the algorithm is probably absolute nonsense. I can't tell you (because of NDAs) how many times I've seen proprietary algorithms that make all sorts of grandeose claims of security and are actually terrible. Bruce ************************************************************************** * Bruce Schneier * Counterpane Systems For a good prime, call 391581 * 2^216193 - 1 * schneier@counterpane.com **************************************************************************