"Strength of encryption standard proved again"

[Tim May <tcmay@got.net>]

( cryptography@c2.net removed from the distribution list, as I am not a
subscriber to that list, and Perry has admonished me when I have
accidentally left his list on the cc: to my messages)


Reuter (Washington, Friday), Security experts reported today that the
nation's encryption standard, "DES," has been proved to be secure. "It took
more than 1000 computers working for 3 months before a single "toy example"
was finally found, " reported Murray Bowdark, Director of the Computer
Security Association, Ft. Meade, Maryland.

"This shows that even a concerted effort by thousands of hackers will take
months," said Bowdark.  "And since hacking like this is outlawed by new
legislation just passed by Congress, this makes "cracking DES" about as
improbable as proving that the CIA imported drugs."


(OK, I confess. Not a real press release. But, as ET notes below in his
article, the spin doctors are already drawing the conclusion that many of
us expected they would draw: by using the crack to prove that this means
DES is resistant against thousands of computers running for months. And to
tell the truth, were I less aware of some of the issues surrounding
hardware-based DES-crackers, I admit that this report would tend to leave
me with this impression. I can imagine most of our parents would look up
from the CNN report on this and say, if they said anything, "OK, so my bank
account is pretty secure.")




At 5:05 PM -0700 6/20/97, ET wrote:
>I caught the Headline News mention of the DES crack and it
>unfortunately put the wrong spin on things.
>
>I can't remember it word for word, but it went like this:
>"If you're going to decrypt financial transactions you'd better
>be prepared to get 1000 computers and spend 3 months on
>the project."
>
>The report was delivered with a hint of a smile, as if to suggest
>that the time and resources might have been better spent.
>
>*Sigh*


There's something wrong when I'm a felon under an increasing number of laws.
Only one response to the key grabbers is warranted: "Death to Tyrants!"
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1398269     | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."