From: Neil Francis, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
PGP is probably as secure as anyone needs right now - however only as
secure as the key. (Traditional) PGP uses RSA algorithms for its key
management and last time I looked you could use 2047 bit encryption for
this. It uses IDEA for its data encryption which is reckoned to be the
strongest encryption generally available to the public. PGP generates
random session keys for IDEA to use. If you like IDEA this is the nearest
you are going to get to military spec kit - assuming your key is good of
course.
Anyone can crack 128 bit encryption - given enough time. I don't believe
either GCHQ or The NSA can do much better than brute force attacks against
IDEA or RSA algorithms - not enough to worry people anyway. Not even they
have powerful enough computers to do this quick.
To brute force crack a 128 bit key assuming you has a computer capable of
trying a million keys a second would take 10^25 years (do the math). The
universe is only 10^10 years old so you need more than one CPU attacking
this. If you took all the computers on the planet (~300 Million) and each
of those did a million tries a second it would still take 10^15 years to
complete. I don't reckon GCHQ can crack a 128 bit key.
Only a fool uses brute force attacks when other methods exist though and as
more sophisticated cryptanalysis methods are not too good on RSA and IDEA
algorithms (yet) you would be better using the one unique method that PGP
offers. With PGP you always know where the message came from - therefore
you go round to the senders house and use rubber hose cryptanalysis on him.
You will probably get the key in less than a day.
BTW - I recommend Bruce Schneier's book 'Applied Cryptography' for anyone
who is interested in this. You will also find his writings on the WWW.
Neil Francis
Trowbridge, UK
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[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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I don't know how they crack it only that they can.
Steve.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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