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Microsoft Drops Aging Encryption Schemes

Posted by Zonk on from the updating-their-friends-list dept.

christchurch wrote to mention an Eweek column about Microsoft's decision to stop using DES, MD4, and MD5 for encryption in Vista. From the article: "All three algorithms show signs of 'extreme weakness' and have been banned, Howard said. Microsoft is recommending using the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA)256 encryption algorithm and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) cipher instead, he said. The change is part of a semi-yearly update to Microsoft's Secure Development Lifecycle policies by engineers within Microsoft's Security Business & Technology Unit."

4 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. Allowed by US Gov? by guruevi · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is that even allowed by US Gov. to export that to other countries? I thought that there was a limit of encryption and everything above ...bits was banned from exporting (remembering 56-bits encryption Windows NT).

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  2. I'm not sure but.... by amodm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    wasn't NTLM slightly based on/uses DES ? If thats the case, then does it mean that they are changing the algo used in SAM too ?

  3. Re:ROT13 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It wasn't banned for XP. Check out HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\UserAssist to see for yourself.

  4. HTTP Digest by hey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    MD5 is used in the HTTP digest authenticattion.
    I hope they'll still support that!