[109004] in Cypherpunks
Re: Is PGP crackable
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tim May)
Mon Mar 8 15:59:15 1999
In-Reply-To:
<BEE0F00F81B5D21194A300A0C96CE83DC3282E@exchange01.digifone.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 11:45:08 -0800
To: "Edwards, Benjamin ()" <Benjamin.Edwards@DIGIFONE.COM>,
cypherpunks@toad.com
From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Reply-To: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
At 5:04 AM -0800 3/8/99, Edwards, Benjamin () wrote:
>I am writing an article about PGP and have one simple question. Can PGP
>keys be cracked. Someone I worked for used to (allegedly) work for the US
>army. He (allegedly) says the army got comms equipment 6 years before it
>was commercially available. If this was the case with computer hardware I
>guess the question would be 'Would it be possible to crack a 4k key if we
>had the computer equipment that would be available in 6 years from now?'
Yes, all of this is true.
The Army was able to use its time travel technology to obtain computers
based on the Pentium chip a full 5 years before Intel saw first silicon!
Even now, the Army is testing computers based on the Pentium V (Department
of Rendundancy Department), which Intel does not expect to even design for
another 4 years!
Using the same technology, a 4K key which would normally require more
computers than there are quarks in the universe, running for a kalpa, can
be cracked in minutes.
Journalists like yourself should be proud of your understanding of technology.
--Tim May
Y2K: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, enjoy the ride.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES: 831-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments.
