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From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.crypt
Subject: DES, etc.
Message-ID: <747@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Aug-85 18:16:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.747
Posted: Fri Aug 16 18:16:03 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 23-Aug-85 07:03:02 EDT
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 16

If DES is truly as flawed as some apparently are claiming, it's going
to cause a great deal of trouble.  The "block boxes" that some are
talking about may be references to the "secure phone" project recently
announced, which would use "secret" algorithms.  However, I have
doubts about how widely a "secret" algorithm will be accepted by 
the country or world at large for other purposes.  Look at how many
papers were published by people suspicious of DES... and the details
of how it worked (other than where the S-boxes came from) were
published.  A completely "secret" algorithm would come in for even
more suspicion, and I suspect that many organizations would refuse
to use it for fear of "unknown" flaws or trapdoors.

Where this leaves commercial data security in this country is 
an open question.

--Lauren--