[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Cryptosplit 2.0



In article <[email protected]>
           [email protected] "Hal Finney" writes:
 > I once proposed a DOS TSR (a "background" program) which would monitor
 > your keystrokes all day long and condense the timing data into a file
 > full of random bits.  Then you'd use up the bits when you needed to do
 > cryptography.  I haven't learned enough about DOS to write such a
 > thing, though.

I'm doing this for unix this weekend.  One very important point to
note:  only take *one* bit of random data per keystroke, and take
it by ex-oring every single bit in the clock() value - that way you
make sure the randomly fluctuating one is in there - because on
some systems the bottom bit might always be 0, if the resolution
of the clock is low.  Also, think about the problems if you have
a function that returns milliseconds but the hardware clock is one
tick, say, every 1/17 sec...

G
-- 
Personal mail to [email protected] (I read it in the evenings)
Business mail to [email protected] (Be careful with the spelling!)
Faxes to An Teallach Limited: +44 31 662 4678  Voice: +44 31 668 1550 x212