From: archie@phantom.com (Douglas Chester)
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 93 15:32:24 PST
To: warlord@MIT.EDU (Derek Atkins)
Subject: Re: your mail
In-Reply-To: <9312012321.AA03674@toxicwaste.media.mit.edu>
Message-ID: <m0p514c-0009NzC@mindvox.phantom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text


> 
> There are tons of functions along those lines.  Your query is not very
> specific. What kind of algorithm do you want, public-key or
> secret-key?  What size key?  Blocksize?  whatever.
> 
> You've just defined an abstraction that includes every single
> encryption function known to man....
> 
> -derek
> 

It should be a secret key algorithm, and be able to hanlde blocks of at least 
256 characters in length.  Keysize isn't as important as the type of encryption
being used.  Something that is reasonably secure such as IDEA or DES is 
preferable to a function that just XORs everything.  

I'm sure if I was a more patient person I could download a few megs of source 
from the net and pore through it to find what I'm looking for.  I was hoping 
that someone on this list could be of assistance and save me the trouble.  
Thanks.