Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Privacy With a 4096 Bit RSA Key — Offline, On Paper

Posted by timothy on from the you'll-need-a-bigger-id-badge dept.

HavanaF writes "Online backup is practical, but can it offer any privacy? The Dutch security company Safeberg developed an Offline Private Key Protocol, with an asymmetric key scheme. The protocol demands that the private (decryption) key be stored away from the 'source' computer, which presumably is 'too vulnerable.' The catch is that the private key needs to be fairly large to be secure: a 4,096-bit RSA key should suffice for some years. But how to store an 800-character key offline? Safeberg introduces a machine readable paper key, with the 4k-bit key crammed in a giant 2D Datamatrix barcode. This video on key strength tells the story."

6 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. How is this any more secure by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Than a 4096 Bit RSA Key that is stored on a standalone computer?

  2. no thanks my Hard drive is too big by Spy+Handler · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Online backup is practical

    not for my 1.5 terabyte HDD which is about half full.

    Right now backing up from hard drive to hard drive takes forever (hours). How the fuck am I gonna back up to a remote server over the internet at 60 kbytes/sec?

  3. Re:First Po.. by gadget+junkie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hang on! let me get my giant barcode out of my pocket!

    that reminds me of Robin Williams doing his Adam and Eve sketch....."Stand back honey, I do not know how big this can get!!"

    --
    "If a boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty." (John Boyd, 1927-1997)
  4. And this is practical, how? by he-sk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Do people actually use the systems they produce and sell?

    --
    Free Manning, jail Obama.
  5. Re:What Happens When ... by maxwell+demon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Reading numbers is more error prone. With the bar code, there are presumably lots of check digits and other such loveliness encoded into it.

    There's no reason you cannot insert check digits into the number as well.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  6. Re:What Happens When ... by GaryOlson · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...paper is just silly. It is less "safe" (as opposed to secure) than a USB key...

    Paper has hundreds of years of technology development behind it; what is the oldest USB key you have? Technology easily and readily exists to store quality archive paper nearly indefinitely in temperature/light/humidity controlled environments.

    I might even guestimate bar code technology will disappear long before a properly created and stored paper archive.

    --
    Every mans' island needs an ocean; choose your ocean carefully.