At 7:52 AM -0700 10/16/02, David Howe wrote: >OTP is the best choice for something that must be secret for all time, >no matter what the expense. >anything that "secure for 20,000 years" will be sufficient for, go for >PKI instead :)
OTP is also good when: (1) You can solve the key distribution problem. (2) You need a system with a minimum of technology (e.g. no computers) (3) You need high security. The Solvet spies are a case in point. The only incriminating evidence they had with them was the pad itself. Given the small size of their messages, (they didn't throw Microsoft word files around), their pads could also be physically small. The necessary calculations could be performed with pencil and paper, and the incriminating intermediate results burned. And the system, used correctly, provided high security. Of course, when they started using it as a Two Time Pad, the NSA was able to decode messages as shown by the Verona intercepts. Cheers - Bill ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Frantz | The principal effect of| Periwinkle -- Consulting (408)356-8506 | DMCA/SDMI is to prevent| 16345 Englewood Ave. [EMAIL PROTECTED] | fair use. | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA
