CDR: Re: why should it be trusted?

Tim May tcmay at got.net
Mon Oct 16 20:12:53 PDT 2000


At 2:34 PM -0700 10/15/00, Nathan Saper wrote:
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>On Sun, Oct 15, 2000 at 05:28:19PM -0400, Jordan Dimov wrote:
>>
>>    I don't know much about crypto politics, but...  isn't it utterly
>>  obvious that the mere fact that the NSA suggest a certain algorithm (say
>>  Rijndael) for a national standard and recomends its use internationally
>>  imply that they have a pretty darn good idea (if not actual technology)
>>  on how to break it efficiently?  I just don't see why else they would
>>  advocate its use.  After all isn't the fact that NSA could break DES since
>>  the 70's the reason for the 'success' of DES? 
>
>IMHO, the NSA has enough expertise and technology to crack just about
>any cipher out there.  As much as that may suck, there isn't a whole
>lot we can do about it.  Besides, in the new world of globalization, I
>think we should be worrying more about corporations than about the NSA.

What is the basis for this claim about the NSA having such expertise 
and technology? Paranoia, ESP, cluelessness, or actual knowledge?

Do you believe, for example, that the NSA knows how to factor very 
large numbers?

Do you believe they have a dramatically faster factoring algorithm 
than any mathematicians suspect exists?

I would also ask if you think the NSA has some hidden supply of 
computers, except we both know there aren't enough places in the 
solar system to park the numbers they would need to brute force 
readily-attainable key sizes.

So, could you explain your first comment?

After that we can move on to your "fear the corporations, not the 
government" bit of cluelessness.


--Tim May
-- 
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES:   831-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
"Cyphernomicon"             | black markets, collapse of governments.





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