From: futplex@pseudonym.com (Futplex)
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 1995 17:06:49 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com (Cypherpunks Mailing List)
Subject: Re: The Elevator Problem
In-Reply-To: <199512121533.JAA21358@cdale1.midwest.net>
Message-ID: <199512140825.DAA19241@opine.cs.umass.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Dave writes:
> Disregarding the "quantum properties of light" issue, if Eve can listen
> in on every communication between Alice and Bob about their keys, then
> doesn't she have enough information to reconstruct the key herself?

By "disregarding the quantum properties", I assume you are asking about
deterministic cryptosystems. Eve does not have sufficient information if 
Alice and Bob use, say, Diffie-Hellman key exchange (DH). As I said, that's
why DH is so clever. :)  (cf. any good crypto text)  But that's patented
(for now), and we were asked about a patent-free solution.

-Futplex <futplex@pseudonym.com>
"We live in a time when...individual rights are constantly expanded" -Sen. 
Orrin Hatch (R-UT), speaking in support of an anti-flag-desecration 
Constitutional amendment