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The End of Encryption?

An anonymous reader writes "The encryption algorithms that make virtually all electronic commerce possible work only because certain mathematical problems are very, very hard to solve. But some mathematicians are trying to prove that there's really no difference between 'hard' and 'not hard' problems--known in the math biz as P and NP. In an article on TechnologyReview.com, Simson Garfinkel spells out the real-world consequences of this mathematical conundrum."

17 of 633 comments (clear)

  1. Who needs it? by romper · · Score: 5, Funny

    Guvf jbexf whfg svar sbe zr!

    --
    Right is wrong when left is right.
    1. Re:Who needs it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      That's not encrypted. That's in German!

      w00t

  2. Didn't that guy... by Skiron · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... write 'Bridge over encrypted waters ~(__8-(0) Doh!'?

  3. Re:Nope, wrong, invalid.. nothing to see here. by strictfoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    These guys couldn't even figure out when the century began.

    "There was a little bit of a controversy as to when the entry of the century was," he recalls. "Was it January 1, 2000, or January 1, 2001?

    Come on now. They can't figure out that and we're looking to them to figure out the whole P=NP mess?

    --
    I've just signed legislation that'll outlaw Russia forever. We'll begin bombing in five minutes.
  4. I saw this movie by revery · · Score: 4, Funny

    I saw a movie about this exact same thing. Luckliy Robert Redford and his team won and the world was made safe from Ben Kingsley, but it was touch and go there for a little bit.

    I was worried.

    The one way to tell for sure if the good guys win, is if the Republican National Committee goes bankrupt and GreenPeace gets a sizable donation. Also, you might see Sydney Poitier in Tahiti and Dan Akroyd in a brand spanking new RV.

    --
    Pain?

    Try Prison.

  5. I have discovered... by CSG_SurferDude · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have discovered a truly remarkable proof which this post is too small to contain.

  6. "last human draws its breath" by aristus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cryptography will die when the last human draws its breath. Er.... shouldn't that be third-to-last human?

    --
    Sometimes seventeen/Syllables aren't enough to/Express a complete
    1. Re:"last human draws its breath" by Issue9mm · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, I'm thinking second-to-last really. As the third-to-last person on the earth, I may choose to encrypt a document entitled "How to kill Fred and Bill" so that that the other two may not access it.

      -9mm-

    2. Re:"last human draws its breath" by whovian · · Score: 4, Funny

      Unless any of them turns out to be Alice. Or Bob.

      --
      To-do List: Receive telemarketing call during a tornado warning. Check.
  7. This is Crazy by jetkust · · Score: 4, Funny

    But some mathematicians are trying to prove that there's really no difference between 'hard' and 'not hard' problems

    Well, it's always better to have the hard problem. You may have to seek medical attention, but at least your pride remains intact.

  8. Out of fashion, I guess. by jlowery · · Score: 4, Funny
    "From my perspective, we are no nearer to solving the problem now that we were when bell-bottom pants were cool."

    Bell-bottom pants aren't cool anymore? Man... what a bummer. I got to quit bogarting those roaches.

    --
    If you post it, they will read.
  9. My favorite Simson Garfinkel work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "50 Ways to Break Encryption"...
    just calculate the key, Lee
    hack the algorithm, Jim
    reverse-engineer, Samir

    sleep, what's that?

  10. I have a proof by rumblin'rabbit · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have a proof that proving P = NP is an NP-complete problem. Unfortunately this posting is too small to hold the proof.

  11. Re:It's not "the end of encryption" at all by OdinHuntr · · Score: 5, Funny
    True, but OTPs aren't reusable

    OH MY GOD, THEY'RE NOT???

  12. This is silly by hugesmile · · Score: 4, Funny
    How hard is this?

    P=NP
    P/P=NP/P
    1=N

    Therefore, P=NP for all problems where N=1.

    See, that clearly wasn't a NP problem!

  13. Re:Why P!=NP by Krisbee · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think you would end up as a very, very dead person very very quickly if you publish a way to crack RSA in a very very short time.

  14. I'll Tell You What The Consequences Are by s5fb29330 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The consequences are that I won't be able to safely browse Slashdot from work over an ssh tunnel without getting in trouble, anymore.

    I've had secure, non-snoopable access to the Internet for my entire professional life. If I actually have to start working I don't think I'll be able to handle it.