On Tue, 28 Nov 2000, James R. Van Zandt wrote:
> For a few decades, I submit you should stay away from public key
> cryptosystems entirely.
That is going to be pretty hard, given that most all of the security
solutions in existence depend on PPK systems. PGP, GPG, SSL, IPsec, SSH,
PPTP, you name it, it uses PPKs. Indeed, secure communication as we know it
pretty much depends on PPK cryptography to work. When in practical use,
symmetric systems are *MUCH* easier to break then asymmetric systems. The
shared secret has to be transported securely to the other party, a compromise
at either end compromises both ends, and everyone needs a special arrangement
with everyone else for key management. The logistics of this make a
shared-secret crypto solution a practical impossibility.
> A new algorithm is hard to predict.
PPK is hardly new. The concepts are more then twenty years old at this
point.
> I have read that all known public key cryptosystems can be broken with a
> quantum computer.
Given that there is currently no such thing as a quantum computer, I'm not
worried about it right now. You can create a "what if" that destroys any
solution. I prefer to worry about real threats, and worry about new threats
when -- and if -- they materialize.
--
Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Net Technologies, Inc. <http://www.ntisys.com>
Voice: (800)905-3049 x18 Fax: (978)499-7839
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