From: DataETRsch@aol.com
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 06:10:47 +0800
To: ichudov@algebra.com
Subject: Re: Re: CRACKIT.DAT increased to 50,000 bytes.
Message-ID: <970528174156_439550795@emout05.mail.aol.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Hi,

In a message dated 97-05-28 04:39:24 EDT, you write:

<< Actions such as yours inspire trust in the cryptographic software
 that you write, if it passes the review. >>

Thank-you very much. By the way, I realize that increasing the size of the
encrypted file used for the contest is unnecessary and actually makes
decryption easier in most cases. I'll let everyone @ toad.com know that the
original encrypted message was "cut" and "pasted" over and over again to
increase the final message to 50,000 bytes. So, there's is *decrypted* data
repetition. (I know, it's was a stupid thing to do, but I believe in
VSA2048's security, obviously.) However, as you probably have discovered,
none of the *encrypted*  data repeats or show any congruent/linear pattern.
(In fact, there is no pattern whatsoever.)

Also, along with the simple decryption tool, a simple flowchart of VSA2048
will be released that will show that VSA2048 is NOT is as simple as many seem
to think. (No, it's not just a random XOR-er. Take a look at the
VSACMProcessOperation and VSACMInternal functions. If it were simply a random
XOR-er, the data could probably be decrypted in a few days, if even that
long.)

I truly hope that all of the cypherpunks out there are working on cracking
the CRACKIT.DAT file used for the decryption contest or have worked on
decrypting it but just gave up. (Contest details will be posted every now and
then to cypherpunks@toad.com and other crypto-related mailing lists.) I
realize that many of you out there live to take snake-oil crypto off the face
of the planet. Not that it is snake-oil, but take a shot at hacking VSA2048.
(Use your Crays, Delta, UNIXs, sync-ed Pentiums, mainframes, whatever. We
don't care.)

Regards,

DataET Research