Key Length Correlation

[Kevin L Prigge]

Jeff Davis said:
> I've read Blaze and diffie's paper on Semetric Key Length.  I'm currious
> how semetric key length correlates to public key cryptography length.  Does
> public key length have to be much longer, (assuming the algorithms are strong),
> to provide the same level of security as a shorter semetric key?  TIA   
> -- 

It's been calculated that in the case of PGP, to equal the work factor 
to brute force the 128 bit IDEA key would require a RSA key > 3000 bits.

Someone probably has a reference.

-- 
Kevin L. Prigge                     | "I rarely saw people sitting at
Systems Software Programmer         |  computers producing real code
Internet Enterprise - OIT           |  wearing ties." - Philippe Kahn
University of Minnesota             | (speech at Software Development '90)