OSEC

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Subject: Re: Classified Crypto
From: Michael H. Warfield (mhwwittsend.com)
Date: Tue Oct 03 2000 - 13:04:36 CDT

On Tue, Oct 03, 2000 at 11:55:39AM -0400, John Young wrote:
> We've received several responses on encryption protection
> for classified information, and pursued a few leads. Here's a
> brief summary - for which supplements and corrections are
> welcome.

> NSA has at least three levels of strength for categorizing
> encryption algorithms, Types 1, 2 and 3, with 1 the strongest.

> Type1 examples: BATON, JUNIPER, MAYFLY, CRAYON

> Type 2 examples: KEA, BLOWFISH

> Type 3 all the rest.

> Type 1 for highest level, and, according to some, the
> technical details for none of the algorithms are public.

> Type 2 details are partially known.

        Uh?

        Wait a minute... Type 2 is "details are partially known" but an
example is BLOWFISH. I'm assuming, here, that we are talking about Bruce
Schneier's Blowfish? Isn't that completely known, or are they modifying
the algorithm (the pi table or such) and not publishing those details?
But would that still be Blowfish? It then certainly would not interoperate
with the reference implimentations of Blowfish, would it?

        Or is this a different animal swimming under the same name?

> Type 3 details are generally known but some parts may
> not be public, such as covert access features.

        [...] 

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