Messages in this thread | | | From | (Alan Cox) | Subject | Re: crypto networking code | Date | Wed, 13 Nov 1996 21:42:56 +0000 (GMT) |
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> Don't kid yourself thinking that any level of encryption will stop hackers > for long. Unless you dealing with unbelievable level of encryption, you > always risk that a hacker can figure out how to break the code. And if you > decide to go with very high levels of encryption, you run into the resource > problem of encryption.
You are making some assumptions that are perhaps inappropriate here.
Firstly most network data that would be sent encrypted has a limited value lifetime. If you change the root password monthly then snooping it and cracking the session key in over a month is a loss. If its combined with a one time pad password you've got to do realtime decoding.
Crypto also allows you to protect control information between hosts. Even if I am sending plain text for all to see (eg public web pages) I gain by making it hard for a third party to send bogus ICMP frames, stupid tcp fragments and generally to be a nuisance.
The issue of long term valuable data is another much more complex issue.
Finally the crypto protocols used for the internet IP-AH IP-ESP protocols are changable. The designers were well aware that crypto is a fast changing area.
Alan
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