Re: Non-PK encryption not vulnerable via low key length?!
Software Test Account (softtest@wu1.wl.aecl.ca)
Thu, 16 Mar 1995 12:00:42 -0600 (CST)
On Wed, 15 Mar 1995, Mark G. Scheuern wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Mar 1995, Jonathan Cooper wrote:
>
> > Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 20:35:44 -0500 (EST)
> > From: Jonathan Cooper <entropy@IntNet.net>
> > To: Vishy Gopalakrishnan <vishy@sph.umich.edu>
> > Cc: bugtraq@fc.net
> > Subject: Non-PK encryption not vulnerable via low key length?!
> > You are wrong.
> >
> > If the key is only 128-bit, that's a much smaller keyspace to
> > brute-force attack than a 1024-bit key.
> >
> > (do the math)
> >
> > -jon
>
> Okay, let's see. 2^128 = 3.4e38. Suppose you can somehow try one
> billion keys per second. Then it will take you 3.4e29 seconds or
> about 1e22 years to try every possible key. A shorter length of
> time than it would take with a 1024 bit key, but I don't think I'd
> lose much sleep over it.
>
> Mark
>
There must be ways of forcing convergence. Brute force is tacky.
Erik
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