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Re: Questions for Magaziner?
On Sat, Sep 19, 1998 at 02:13:39PM -0700, Tom Weinstein wrote:
> > Arnold G. Reinhold wrote:
> >
> > One question I'd like asked is whether the US Gov will approve 56-bit RC-4
> > for export on the same terms as 56-bit DES. That would allow export
> > versions of web browsers to be upgraded painlessly, making international
> > e-commerce 64 thousand times more secure than existing 40-bit browsers.
> > (56-bit DES browsers would require every merchant to upgrade their SSL
> > servers and introduce a lot of unneeded complexity.)
>
> Actually, it wouldn't be any easier to deploy 56-bit RC4 than DES. Either
> would require roughly the same changes to both clients and servers.
Not easier technically but "easier" maybe politically.
Key length seems to be held (probably wrongly) as a rough measure
of crypto "strength" by journos and those in power.
40bit RC4 is weak. How strong would 56bit RC4 be?
--
pgp 1024/D9C69DF9 1997/10/14 steve mynott <[email protected]>