Re: Minimal crypto OTP by dummie

From: machine99 (please_at_no.spam)
Date: 04/20/04 

Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 08:45:06 +0200

> > Right..... it will be guesswork when the key is never reused
>
> The odds are on your side if the key is truly random.

Using random numbers without some sort of pre-processing, wouldn't that be
risky? Wouldn't it be necessary to generate a new random sequence if the
first one somehow reveals fragments of the message?

> > Since the key is made up of random numbers there is still the
possibility
> of
> > the key encrypts the messsage to something that looks like the
unencrypted
> > message..... maybe not very likely but possible right? What to do then?
>
> Nothing. That's a very unlikely event. The enemy doesn't know what the
> original text was like.

Maybe not but they usually know the context and can possibly put the pieces
together should they have any. Alone the fact that they picked up the
encrypted message shows that the 'enemy' knows something, perhaps about
sender/receiver.

> > Same with the random key, theoretically it will generate some not so
> useful
> > characters, like 4 equal ones in a row.
>
> So what? Don't you like randomness? Randomness sometimes produces some
> equals in a row - quite normal, nothing to worry about.

If it reveals a part of the original message, the sender should worry about
it :)

If the 'enemy' already has some info, they can compare the existing info to
the fragment and see if it makes 'sense'. If it does, they have yet another
piece of info they can use to trace the sender and perhaps catch him.
Wouldn't have been good if the sender was one of Saddam's generals *ouch* :)

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