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High security encryption - is it necessary much of the time?

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    High security encryption - is it necessary much of the time?

    Not a work related post - just curious.

    You can get all sorts of little programs boasting some amazing algorithm, 96 billion bit encryption, just for keeping your passwords, pin numbers etc.safe.

    Is it actually necessary? Surely decryption requires some sort of pattern to the content to work?. If you have a file containing pins/passwords that are just completely meaningless combinations of numbers and letters, and they have been translated into a different combination of meaningless numbers and letters, is there any decryption process that could possibly be quicker than just trying all the combinations?

    Strikes me that you could apply some really simple encryption algorithm to such a file and it would effectively be as secure as the pro offerings. Or is that complete rubbish?

    #2
    'fraid so.

    algebraic field theory lies behind most decent encryption algos and they are very good. that and prime factorisation keys....

    Comment


      #3
      crypto

      My reckoning is that when you get high security algo's then the people who are going to try to crack them will be 'of the same order'. It's at that point that it becomes a game between the two of them, getting ever more complicated.

      If you buy a BMW with a state of the art theft device, they will find a way to steal your BMW and many more like it.
      But if you build a personally constructed switch to break the ignition circuit then the thieves will not even think about looking for it.

      I would suggest that the same applies to encryption.

      But watch out that there are crappy thieves who will look for your circuit breaker as there are crackers that will do the normal dictionary and other 'obvious' methods.

      As soon as you make things available then the crackers can get their hands on lots information that works - and they will work it back to the initial passwords.

      Think of it like this :: 5000 passwords and login names to study - perhaps 4500 of those passwords are meaningless crap like ghsg6548sd65vs, but if 500 of them are dictionary words then they can have a go of figuring the algo that changed them.
      And they will figure it.
      Unless it's way over their head.
      So it's best to use all sorts of tulipe.
      I only got half way through my crypto module but have been thinking about studying the rest of it recently, the more bits the more possibilities the longer it's gong to take the computer to mak even a single calculation.

      That's what half of it is about these days is getting to the stage where it would take the fastest computer longer than the history of the universe to "try those possibilities".

      If it's just to stop your 19 yr old pinching your porn, then something simple like ASCII codes * the dogs name will do.

      Steve.

      Comment


        #4
        rsa

        RSA is one of those mathematical methods as you know.

        Check here
        www.rsasecurity.com/stand...asics.html

        ...and check out the heading
        What's the difference between a 40-bit SSL connection and a 128-bit SSL connection?

        Regards
        Steve

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