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TWIRL: Are 1024-bit RSA Keys Unsafe?

This came across the Interesting-People list today: a preliminary draft of a paper, co-authored by Adi Shamir, that proposes new hardware for factoring large numbers. It is claimed that a machine could be built which would be "3-4 orders of magnitude more cost effective than the best previously published designs," and that "the NFS sieving step for 1024-bit RSA keys can be completed in less than a year by a $10M device." For background, here's a primer on key length in symmetric and asymmetric crypto.

11 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. password by Flamesplash · · Score: 2, Funny

    SWORDFISH

    Don't go telling anyone.

    --
    "Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door." - Emily Dickinson
  2. Oh no! A year! by Lord+Bitman · · Score: 4, Funny

    A $10,000,000 machine dedicated to breaking into a single encrypted communication for a full year will be able to break it! This makes encryption completely worthless!

    --
    -- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
    1. Re:Oh no! A year! by yomegaman · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'll sell anyone who wants them all of my passwords and keys for only $5 million. Just think, 50% off and no waiting!

      --
      ...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
  3. The secret formula for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Coca-Cola!

  4. Yes, but... by Elbereth · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can it factor large primes in mere seconds? I've designed a processor that can! I'm just looking for investors now...

    1. Re:Yes, but... by scott1853 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dammit. If you can factor primes larger than 32 bit then you've completed blown my method of mov eax,edx

  5. Are 1024-bit RSA Keys Unsafe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course they are. I just read an article the other day on how to file them down and make a master key out of them.

    Slashdot and their damn dupes ;)

  6. Re:This should be obvious by peterpi · · Score: 4, Funny
    Clever technique; it took me an extra second or so to figure out that you meant 'Meet me'.

    From now on I shall encrypt my posts by mee mmoo un weedle dhodhe unbvoppe zzfp dee. ;)

  7. So, in cryptographic systems by TechnoInfidel · · Score: 2, Funny

    size matters.

  8. NSA by jakobk · · Score: 2, Funny

    I bet NSA have had this for years.

  9. Beowulf Cluster ! by red-beard's · · Score: 3, Funny

    Imagine a beowulf cluster of these . Hmmmm you could crack God's answering machine remote . Think of the messages "Hello God this is Satan you think i could be someone else besides Bill Gates for awhile . I hate being so damn nerdy. Oh an i was thinking we could give the DOJ the plague or maybe just the antitrust section . Gotta get back to my new version of windows for life support machines ....muhahahaha "