[extropy-chat] Encryption revolution

[Brian Alexander Lee]

I think you're right. The real reason there's so much funding for quantum
encryption is because whomever gets it first will have "unbreakable"
encryption for a while. It's like nuclear weapons were, you don't want to be
the one without it.

Public key encryption is pretty strong and easy to use, but it has a few
flaws that theoretically a really big gov't computer could use to break it.
A lot of encryption systems that use public key really use it to generate a
120-160bit session key and exchange it with their partner. Although there
are no documented cracks of 120 bit encryption through brute force, it's
theoretically possible.

Harvey pointed out a lot of common vulnerabilities, but most of them can be
avoided by using proper techniques to avoid timing, social engineering, etc.

The big benefit of this is that it allows for a secure key transmission
technique. Proper use of certificates should prevent a man in the middle
exploit.

Nonetheless, crypttech is growing by leaps and bounds as corporations now
need encryption where previously just terrorists and govt's needed it.

BAL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John K Clark" <jonkc at att.net>
To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2003 4:18 PM
Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] Encryption revolution


> "Robin Hanson" <rhanson at gmu.edu> Wrote:
>
> > There is an article in the latest New Scientist on how to break it.
>
> I know nothing about network quantum encryption, I've never heard of it
> before and the article doesn't explain how it works; but as for breaking
> point to point quantum encryption it only has 2 suggestions:
>
> 1) Look over my shoulder when I decrypt the message.
>
> 2) Fire a massive Laser at me that is so powerful it damages my
> cryptographic equipment and hope I'm too dumb to notice.
>
> Apparently quite a bit of money is going into developing quantum
encryption,
> I'm a little surprised because public key encryption is much easier to use
> and seems safe enough.  The only conclusion I can come up with is that
> somebody with money thinks a practical quantum computer will soon become a
> reality. If that happens then quantum encryption will be the only way to
> keep a secret.
>
>   John K Clark     jonkc at att.net
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> extropy-chat mailing list
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo/extropy-chat
>