From: frantz@netcom.com (Bill Frantz)
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 08:07:02 +0800
To: Ted Cabeen <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Netscape 3.0 and encryption choices
Message-ID: <199608201820.LAA22622@netcom8.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At  1:04 AM 8/20/96 -0700, Ted Cabeen wrote:
>In Netscape 3.0, the program allows the user to specify which encryption
>standards to allow connections with.  It allows encryption with 128-bit RC4,
>128-bit RC2, and 156-bit(I think)3DES.  Of these three, which would be the
>most secure method?

The gereral consensus of the experts is that 168 bit 3DES is the best
choice.  DES has been well studied, 168 bit keys are large enough to be
safe, and the ITAR forbids its export.  (ITAR also forbids export of 128
bit cyphers as well, but ITAR is the only NSA approved reputation agent for
crypto, so we use what we have.)


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