RSA Key Size & QP

[Roger Bryner]

On Wed, 22 Jun 1994 catalyst-remailer at netcom.com wrote:
> something like that).  If cycles on such a computer would be,
> say, 1,000 times more expensive than on your PC, then
> cracking the key would be 1,000*O(keysize^c) more expensive than 
> generating it, not 1,000*O(c^keysize).  Having a keysize of, say,
> 8 kbits instead of 1 kbit in this circumstance is not at all overkill; 
I would say this can be extended and made a general rule.  You should 
always take some reasonable ammount of time(say 5 min) to encrypt your 
most sensitive messages, even if you have a 12 crays and a connection 
machene.  The algorithim can be viewed as giving you an economic 
advantage, and worying over spending $.01 vs $.0001 is not just stingy, 
it is dangerous.

Roger.