[5632] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: more re Encryption Technology Limits Eased
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sandy Harris)
Fri Sep 17 10:04:05 1999
Message-ID: <37E18223.9E611ABE@sympatico.ca>
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 23:49:55 +0000
From: Sandy Harris <sandy.harris@sympatico.ca>
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Cc: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
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"Steven M. Bellovin" wrote:
>
> In message <19990916211526.UUWX17922@alaptop.hotwired.com>, Declan McCullagh wr
> ites:
> > What I found most interesting was what Attorney General Reno said about the
> > government's cryptanalysis abilities. When asked if she can break strong,
> > >64 bit equivalent crypto, she said, "We have carefully looked at this and
> > think it's possible," and declined to add details.
> >
> > DoD's Hamre said that there would be a big chunk assigned to cryptanalysis
> > R&D in DoD's requested FY2001 budget but added "some of the parts you may
> > be interested [in] I can't discuss." (I wouldn't necessarily read much into
> > this. It could simply be a face-saving move.)
>
> This isn't at all improbable -- just do the math.
>
> Deep Crack cost $250,000; it works against a 56-bit cipher. Multiply that
> by 256 and you get $64,000,000 -- hardly a preposterous increase in NSA's
> budget. Sure, they want faster results; they'll also have economies of
> scale, processors faster than 40 Mhz, etc.
Another way to look at it: http://www.planepage.com/ gives the cost of a B1
bomber as $200 million. With that budget and Deep Crack technology, they break
56-bit DES in under 10 minutes, and a 64-bit cipher in well under two days.
Of course they likely have better technology and can spend the price of an
aircraft carrier, not just one plane.
