Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!husc6!mit-eddie!mit-amt!simsong From: simsong@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Simson L. Garfinkel) Newsgroups: sci.crypt Subject: Re: Security of RSA and factoring Message-ID: <606@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> Date: Sun, 11-Jan-87 13:29:41 EST Article-I.D.: mit-amt.606 Posted: Sun Jan 11 13:29:41 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 11-Jan-87 22:50:27 EST References: <9041@duke.duke.UUCP> <4205@columbia.UUCP> Reply-To: simsong@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Simson L. Garfinkel) Organization: MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA Lines: 21 Keywords: factoring Another real issue in breaking RSA is that factoring is not a well-understood branch of mathematics. We really don't know the "right" way to factor numbers. Right now, it takes a long time for the fastest computers to factor big numbers.... But what if there is a breakthrough and somebody figures out how to factor in parallel (on a connection machine, for example...) What if the NSA knows how to factor but hasn't told anybody? What if I know how to factor but don't tell you? What if I figure out how to do it tomorrow? It's probably wrong to say that an RSA cypher won't be broken for 100 years, because by then we'll know how to factor a whole lot better. Simson L. Garfinkel MIT Media Lab -- Simson L. Garfinkel is a freelance student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.