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Bugtraq archives for 1st quarter (Jan-Mar) 1995: Re: Non-PK encryption not vulnerable via low key length?!

Re: Non-PK encryption not vulnerable via low key length?!

Software Test Account (softtestwu1.wl.aecl.ca)
Thu, 16 Mar 1995 12:00:42 -0600 (CST) 

On Wed, 15 Mar 1995, Mark G. Scheuern wrote:

> On Wed, 15 Mar 1995, Jonathan Cooper wrote:
> 
> > Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 20:35:44 -0500 (EST)
> > From: Jonathan Cooper <entropyIntNet.net>
> > To: Vishy Gopalakrishnan <vishysph.umich.edu>
> > Cc: bugtraqfc.net
> > Subject: Non-PK encryption not vulnerable via low key length?! 
> >    You are wrong.
> > 
> >    If the key is only 128-bit, that's a much smaller keyspace to 
> > brute-force attack than a 1024-bit key.
> > 
> >    (do the math)
> > 
> > -jon
> 
> Okay, let's see. 2^128 = 3.4e38.  Suppose you can somehow try one
> billion keys per second.  Then it will take you 3.4e29 seconds or
> about 1e22 years to try every possible key.  A shorter length of
> time than it would take with a 1024 bit key, but I don't think I'd
> lose much sleep over it.
> 
> Mark
>
There must be ways of forcing convergence.  Brute force is tacky.

Erik
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