Re: one time pads

From: Chris Mattern (syscjm_at_gwu.edu)
Date: 08/27/03 

Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 14:17:55 -0400

PCportinc wrote:
> I watched that PBS special on the Atom Bomb spies.
> They talked about one time pads used by the Soviets
> and said that even today's super computers cannot
> break the pad. is this true?

Yes, it is.

> if so, then even such simple
> methods as were used 50 years ago could still be used
> today and not even the NSA or the FBI would be able
> to figure out what the encrypted message is?

Yes, provided you can properly set up a OTP system.

>
> if so, why the need for RSA, Blowfish, 128-bit, PGP, TEA, etc.?

Because, by its nature, one time pads require the secure
transmission of the pads--which have to be the same size
as the message to encrypted. For most computer applications,
the requirements of one-time-pads make them unusable, because
secure transmission of the pads is impractical (encrypting
the pads to secure them is pointless--it would be just as
secure to simply encrypt the message with the encryption
method you were going to use for the pads).

> The bad old Ruskies didnt use them, neither did the Germans in
> WWII, and if it wasnt for human error, their encrypted messages
> would not have been decoded.
>
             Chris Mattern