Hi Doug, Forgive me if I seem to come across as being pedantic; but PGP itself isn't an encryption algorithim; it is a program that utilises encryption algorithims like AES/DSA to encode/decode stuff. Given the open-source model of PGP, and especially spin-off projects like GNUPG (which is completely non-commercial and open-source), it would be difficult to slip in any back doors into the code undetected.
As for purpose-designed specialty hardware, the government isn't the only one in possession of such. Universities/cryptologists/mathematicians do possess and aggressively utilise such specialty hardware to attempt to simplify and expedite the process of breaking modern encryption like AES/DSA. I don't really understand the math behind it all, but to my knowledge it involves factoring large numbers into their constituent primes or something like that. But at the end of this long-drawn e-mail, I agree that we never really know what goes on inside secret/semi-secret government agencies, and that we never really know what kind of technology and capabilities they are in possession of. I understand that I'm veering much off-topic here, so I'll just stop now. :) Thank you for your kind attention. On 5/21/05, Doug Franklin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Sat, 21 May 2005 23:21:08 +0800, Chan Yong Wei wrote: > > > I'm a little out of touch with all of this, but AFAIK, depending on > > the key size and encryption algorithim you pick, it would still take > > current technology available to the governments decades or centuries > > to crack something encoded by PGP using DSA or AES right? > > True, if they don't have back door keys. That's probably less likely > with PGP than AES or DSA. Or they might have purpose-designed > specialty hardware. Who really knows what goes on inside places like > the NSA? > > TTYL, DougF KG4LMZ > > >
