I would like to get more data on this one.  Every so often someone claims to
have cracked RSA but in every case I've heard of the claim was false.

The problem is to show mathematically how to factor a *very* large pseudo
prime number into its two prime factors.  This is the part I want to see.

A billion computers working in parallel to do it once is not a crack.  If in
fact it was accomplished it was either because the primes were
insufficiently large or the guy was very lucky.

Rich

At 06:00 AM 3/26/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>(*) There's no proof that the cyrptographic algorithms used in PGP are
>>secure.  However, there is no publicly known method for attacking it that
>>is significantly better than a brute force attack.  It is possible (but
>>unlikely) that better methods exist but are being kept secret.
>
>As in all security areas, the ILLUSION of security is what sells it.
>Lehigh University cracked RSA several years ago during summer break.  I
>believe it was a brute-force attack, because they used all the X boxes on
>campus to do it.
>
>The fact that the gov't is pushing so hard for a known back door for police
>leads me to believe that there is a generic solution that exists but they
>wish for hostiles to feel it's 100% and therefore have all our enemies
>using our key.  Pretty slick.
>
>Andy
>
>
>==================================================================
>                     Andy Kunz - Montana Design
>          Go fast, turn right, and keep the wet side down!
>==================================================================
>
>

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