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NSA Turns To Commercial Software For Encryption

Roland Piquepaille writes "According to eWEEK, the National Security Agency (NSA) has picked a commercial solution for its encryption technology needs, instead on relying on its own proprietary code. "The National Security Agency has purchased a license for Certicom Corp.'s elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) system, and plans to make the technology a standard means of securing classified communications. In the case of the NSA deal, the agency wanted to use a 512-bit key for the ECC system. This is the equivalent of an RSA key of 15,360 bits." This summary includes the NIST guidelines for public key sizes and contains more details and links about the ECC technology. Since the announcement, Canadian Press reports that Certicom's shares more than doubled in Toronto."

7 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. I GOT THE FROSTY PISS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ALL OVER YOUR FACE!!11!1!111oneoneeleven

  2. NSA COMMERCIAL! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    THEY HAVE A MONOPOLY FIRST post hehehehhehehehehheheheh

  3. Europeans, mod this up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    HOWTO: Be an American
    Version 1.0 / M

    America, eh folks? It's a pretty screwed up place. Unfortunately, but not indefinitely, the USA's weapons of mass destruction make it the most powerful country in the world (militarily). As a result, it helps to be aware of American society and fit into it, and our quick 8-step guide should have you on the path to burger-munching enlightenment.

    1 - Buy yourself a gun
    To become a fully-fledged Yank, you'll need to get a weapon. Americans think that having more killing machines magically makes their country safer, and it helps them to walk around saying "I'll put a cap in your ass". Even though the concept of "no guns = no gun-related crimes" is alien to the average Yank, it'll give you a false sense of security in this country with the highest crime rates in the developed world.

    2 - Put on at least 25 stone
    Skinny? Medium? Chubby? That won't cut it in the good ol' US of A. Because America has the highest obesty levels on the planet, you'll need to get those rolls of flab built up. Eating 18 waffles with Maple syrup for breakfast (and visiting Burger King five times in a day) is all natural when much of the world is suffering massive poverty. Get fat and fit in.

    3 - Learn the lingo
    We've talked about issues affecting society, but on a personal level you'll need more knowledge (or ignorance as it may be) to fit in. First, forget proper English. Confuse "your" with "you're". Say "must of" instead of "must have". Whenever anything interesting occurs, say "shucks" repeatedly. Instead of clever spontaneity or witty insults, call people "asswipes". It's funny!

    4 - Throw away all maps, history books etc.
    To really feel a part of American society, you must lose all knowledge of the world. Forget where Poland is. Scrap your knowledge of the lengthy Chinese history. Make cretinous remarks like "India? Is that in Africa?". Because ALL that matters is America, and it doesn't matter how pathetic you look to educated people the world over.

    5 - Become totally irrational and nonsensical
    Spout on about the Constitution, and then make drastic changes to it. Talk about "freedom of speech" and watch TV programmes about the Ku Klux Klan. Rant on about market freedom, and sit back as companies run riot and destroy the economy with their anti-competitive practices. Essentially, act idiotic at all times.

    6 - Sue everyone you ever meet
    The USA doesn't produce many decent quality products, so the society is crumbling into a litigation-happy joke. With so many jobs going overseas to talented workers, your only option left is to start legal proceedings. About anything. Someone step on your toe? Get some hotshot downtown lawyer to sue their ass!

    7 - Get a "shrink"
    Americans have a hard time dealing with their own problems in a mature manner, and prefer to spend hundreds of dollars sitting in front of someone and whinging. However trivial your problems may be, blast them out like a baby!

    8 - Watch abysmal TV
    Forget educational programmes and incisive documentaries. Your ideal night in is with your gun, six cheeseburgers and a Friends box set. Watch as some over-paid talentless "actor" enters the scene, and whoop and scream hysterically as he delivers some ridiculously poor wisecrack.

    So there you have it! Those 8 steps should have you killing innocent people, piling on pounds and acting like a moron in no time. America awaits you, brave hero! Just get out before it collapses in disarray.

    END

    1. Re:Europeans, mod this up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      A most excellent post, sir.

    2. Re:Europeans, mod this up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      An excellent example of why we stopped listening to the Brits in 1776 and have been all the better for it since.

  4. YHBT (NT) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    you're a jackass too. good job. I lied about the NT thing, btw

  5. Re:Asswipe! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You fucking Seppo retards. "Except by criminals" -- well, isn't that better than gun crimes by criminals _and_ common folk?

    Sheesh.