I think we all misunderstood when we thought you were prompting a nerd challenge. I'm gathering you only want to "insult" people by making inaccurate assertions, phrased to be condescending in addition to short on actual insightful content. Then scurry away when called on the subject.
No, you are wrong now. I posted a statement that we can't predict the NSA's current capability and implying that we shouldn't underestimate them. You chose to go point-by-point to prove me wrong - at which you failed. Your documentation consisted of name dropping and place dropping rather than investigation of the facts.
Clearly you're the one making it a personal issue by commenting on my intentions and insinuating I am only making incorrect assertions. I"ve backed up my claims.
I'm done with the thread; you can have it and the last word. Readers of the thread can decide if inaccurate claims that Bruce Schneier says Rijndael is wonderful count more than his documented words about the potential risks with it. By the way - AES is Rijndael, not a derivative. When NIST and the NSA put their stamp on Rijndael as the winner of the AES competition, the two became synonymous.
All I said in my first post was that it was the NSA's choice who won - and it was. And that they have tremendous capabilities. Most everything else I've said in this thread was to defend against the attacks you made on my statements.
I'll go into more detail when I am not on a phone. But I'll refute several of Levant's claims now.
- DES was certified around 1977 by NIST, after being strengthened against differential crypto attacks by the NSA. It was in no way geared towards being secure for billions of years, but rather decades. Also, it had to pass ITAR. For what it was, it was and is quite successful. 3DES is not that bad even today.
- Changes in export control allowed the creation of AES, around 2001.
- NIST ran the AES competition, not the NSA. Lifetime is expected to be less than a hundred years.
- NSA certified AES for government usage, up to TS under certain circumstances.
- The Rijndael cipher was selected at the AES2 and AES3 conf, by vote. Security was a high factor, but so was performance and ease of implementation.
- Bruce Schneier endorsed AES, which alone invalidates any tin foil theories. If anyone disagrees, they know nothing about crypto
Really? Anyone who disagrees with you knows nothing about cryptography? Does that include Bruce Schneier?
So, when you're losing the documentation argument you now start with the personal attacks. It says a lot.
Your turn. And then the end.
Edit, well crap. I just noticed that you said AES had to pass ITAR. More stuff that you spouted about which you do not know. What does that mean, to pass ITAR? It's not a test or a form to fill out. ITAR is International Trade in Arms Regulations. Encryption is not ARMS.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Traffic_in_Arms_Regulationshttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1996-11-19/pdf/96-29692.pdfSo, instead of trying so hard to prove me wrong, point-by-point, you should have spent more time reading and learning.