Re: Interesting Discussion with US Government Computer Expert

From: Russ Lyttle (lyttlec_at_earthlink.net)
Date: 08/30/03 

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 14:31:34 GMT

Douglas A. Gwyn wrote:

> Russ Lyttle wrote:
>> OTOH, most key generators make pseudo-primes.
>
> Really? I would have thought that they would be tested
> before being used.
They are tested with a suite of standard tests. But the keys aren't
guaranteed to be prime, just probably prime or at least difficult to factor
composits. Which is why they are called pseudo-primes. Now if someone came
up with additional tests that could identify some composite pseudo-primes
that otherwise test ok, would that lead to the possibility of attacks
against those keyholders? 

-- 
Russ Lyttle
lyttlecatearthlink.net
at = @