[898] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: DES cracking is making real progress
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (A. Padgett Peterson P.E. Informati)
Fri May 23 11:46:15 1997
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 10:38:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: "A. Padgett Peterson P.E. Information Security" <PADGETT@hobbes.orl.mmc.com>
To: karn@qualcomm.com
CC: cryptography@c2.net
Phil rote:
>Another data point: Wells Fargo (a major California-based bank) has a
>policy of not allowing the "international grade" web browsers to be
>used for online banking for the more sensitive functions like writing
>checks to arbitrary recipients.
Will not go into specifics for obvious reasons but can say certain other
Very Large Organizations are a hairbreadth away from raising the barrier
above 56 bits for sensitive/trade secret/proprietary information. This
is a matter of complying with USC (Trade Secrets Act etc).
Unless the US Gov issues a directive that 56 bit DES is sufficent for
"due care", IMNSHO once DES has been broken corporations will have little
choice.
Warmly,
Padgett
