Re: Padlock Size was Re: so why is IETF stilling adding DES to protocols? (Re: It's official... DES is History)

[Dan Geer]

    > The point is that in Netscape, it is very hard to tell if a given link
    > is 40 bit or 128 bit. Sure, with enough poking around looking at page
    > info you could probably figure it out. Or maybe someone knows if the
    > little padlock means something like the little key used to. But I'm a
    > crypto-sophisticated person, and I don't know. What about people who
    > don't understand the technology at all?
    
    Good point


1. when evaluating, never underestimate the lure of convenience

2. Paul Kocher has found, as I recall, that the percentage of
browsers that are 40bit is *growing* because of the inconvenience
and invasiveness of what extra effort it takes to get your hands
on the 128bit stuff.

3. having inertia & ignorance on your side is strongly advantageous

--dan