From: Alan Olsen <alano@teleport.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 14:53:45 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Borders *are* transparent
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960722211219.00d9ede0@mail.teleport.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 02:30 PM 7/22/96 -0400, Perry E. Metzger wrote:
>
>Perhaps a Java page containing a DES cracker that one could run for
>the casual participant, and a set of links to download a real cracker
>for the non-casual participant...

And if it can be cracked using Java anytime in our lifetime, then it is
truely insecure... ]:>

>I think its really time that we did this. DES must be shown to be
>dead.

Personally I would like to see the cracking app written in assembly or
optimized C.  Something that will reduce the search time even farther.
(Everyone talks about the hardware, but inefficient software will cost just
as much time as slow hardware.  Not to mention flaky hardware, as is seen
sometimes with gold lead simms and tin lead sockets. [Personal gripe.  I
have been tracking down system problems for a couple of months involving
just this issue. Damn agrivating!])

>When the media hear about it, they will, of course, get "experts"
>saying "but it took five thousand people millions of dollars in
>computer time". We should ask Matt Blaze to write a paper in advance
>explaining that although this test, on general hardware, took a lot of
>effort, that with specialized hardware it would be cheap as can be.

No matter WHAT is done, they will get some "expert" claming that there is
some flaw in the methodology.  Given enogh attention, those people will look
like hired spin doctors and be pretty much ignored and/or laughed at.

---
Alan Olsen -- alano@teleport.com -- Contract Web Design & Instruction
        `finger -l alano@teleport.com` for PGP 2.6.2 key 
                http://www.teleport.com/~alano/ 
  "We had to destroy the Internet in order to save it." - Sen. Exon
                "Microsoft -- Nothing but NT promises."