From: Alan Tu <ATU5713@compuserve.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 1998 11:39:31 +0800
To: Cypher Punks Mailing List <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: What's the latest in factoring?
Message-ID: <199802072222_MC2-3262-79F5@compuserve.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Hi all,

First, I want to say that because I've heard that traffic on this list is
heavy, and I don't have time to file away 40 messages a day, you must
write to me personally in order for me to see the message.  My PGP key is
provided at the end of this message.

What is the latest factoring breakthrough (at least in the civilian
world?)  I had heard a while back that the most recent event was
accomplished by Samuel Wagstaff of Purdue University, whose team factored
(3^349-1)/2, which is a 167-digit number (about 552 bits).  Is there
anything more recent?  Also, whereas 1024 bits was the commonly accepted
threshhold for key lengths more than two years ago, what's the threshhold
now?  Because I have DOS (and like it) I use PGP 2.63ix, when should I
retire my 1024-bit key?  I don't expect anybody to answer that I should
do so immediately, but can someone give me an idea on what people are
doing in regard to key length?

Sincerely,

Alan Tu


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.3i
Charset: noconv
Comment: Requires PGP version 2.6 or later.

iQCVAwUBNN0kkJezmBrl2RXhAQGxnAP9HyIvtTcOeN77s3p80OmSefhagtfxQGEm
H3NqWzxrqEvfODat63UFDVxcf28cSSog3666Icys1nLY9JhNSFZrruejbRIJ6P4o
AKHfxBwUSO00GvSyCl9nI5VjJDoRG2elDZf7iPP1M9h+IoTXuSDpdWnL9uBpqhvi
SFg4sXOKEOA=
=co6G
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Type Bits/KeyID    Date       User ID
pub  1024/E5D915E1 1997/04/27 Alan Tu <atu5713@compuserve.com>
                              Alan Tu <102534.2165@compuserve.com>

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: 2.6.3i
Comment: Requires PGP version 2.6 or later.
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=CM85
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----