encrypted email software

[Mike Sherwood]

"Perry E. Metzger" <pmetzger at lehman.com> writes:

> 100% correct. Although DES is likely breakable by brute force, that
> can only be done at tremendous expense. The back door notion, although
> still possible, is now not believed to be true.

People first thought there was a back door because they wouldn't release 
enough info on the algorithm to give people a chance to see if they 
trusted it or not.  After it was all common knowledge, people examined 
it and came to the conclusion that it was secure, though questions are 
still around about why it was changed from 64 bit to 56 bit, which is 
also why it is believed that the NSA has computers that can break it by 
brute force in a reasonable amount of time, but nevertheless it is a 
brute force attack.

That's how I've heard (from various sources) the whole story with DES 
goes, and it seems like a reasonable one.

--
Mike Sherwood
internet: mike at EGFABT.ORG     uucp: ...!sgiblab!egfabt!mike