From: ferguson@icm1.icp.net (Paul Ferguson x2044)
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 93 10:07:31 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: (fwd) Australians dump DES (from RISKS)
Message-ID: <9310191808.AA03841@icm1.icp.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


Can anyone provide ant detailed information on 'Seneca'?

Forwarded message:

> From: darrell@cse.ucsc.edu (Darrell Long)
> Newsgroups: sci.crypt
> Subject: Australians dump DES (from RISKS)
> Date: 19 Oct 1993 03:11:34 GMT
> Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz (CE/CIS Boards)
> Lines: 32
> Distribution: world
> Message-ID: <29vlt6$82c@darkstar.UCSC.EDU>
> NNTP-Posting-Host: sequoia.cse.ucsc.edu
> 
> Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1993 17:14:08 +1000
> From: zaph@torps.apana.org.au (Kevin Burfitt)
> Subject: Australian government to replace DES
> 
> Here is something I found in an Australian computer magazine, which
> sounded like something for the Risks Forum...
> 
> Quoted from "PCWEEK October 20, 1993"
> 
>   The Australian Government has secretly developed its own data
>   encryption firmware and algorithm, killing its dependence on the
>   US DES (Data Encryption Standard) Algorithm.
> 
>   Called Seneca, the firmware element was developed as a joint project
>   of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) in Adelaide
>   and the Defense Signals Directorate (DSD) in Canberra.
> 
>   [...]
> 
>   "It is a symmetric encryption technology like DES, but can operate
>   at very high speeds" said the source. Seneca's original specifications
>   included a throughput of 2Mbps, but testing had achieved rates of
>   20Mbps.
> 
> Isn't part of the security with DES its slowness, which implies that this
> new encryption method will be inherently risky because of its speed ?
> 
> Kevin Burfitt
> 
> zaph@torps.apana.org.au  (Kevin Burfitt) Compuserve:  100240,2002
> Torps Productions: torps.apana.org.au    BBS +61-3-818-0986  FidoNet:
> 3:635/574
> 


_____________________________________________________________________________
Paul Ferguson                                                               
Mindbank Consulting Group                                    fergp@sytex.com   
Fairfax, Virginia  USA                                       ferguson@icp.net