Secret-Key Encryption Algorithms
- DES - digital encryption standard
- DES is a block cipher (encrypts data in blocks of 64 bits) and relies on a
key of 56 bits.
- some cryptographers consider the key too short and that it allows a brute
force attack as a viable solution
- TDES (triple DES) apply DES 3 times with different keys
- used to authenticate the users on standard UNIX machines
- adopted by the federal standard for the encryption of commercial and
sensitive yet unclassifed government computer data
- IDEA - international data encryption algorithm
- block cipher algorithm with blocks of 64 bits and keys of 128 bits
- RC2 and RC4
- algorithms have not been published
- developed at RSA Data Security Inc.
- 40 bit keys used in Netscape and other software products
- Skipjack
- algorithm developed by NSA to replace DES in the future
- implemented only in hardware (clipper chip)
- contains a key-escrow mechanism that allows governmental agencies to
decrypt messages
Copyright 1997 by Slackers Union. Comments should go to any of the
group members. Opinions reflected on this page are by no means
opinions
of UCSD. Go sue somebody else.
Last Modified: June 1, 1997
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