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From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.internals
Subject: Re: Is the DES algorythm PD?
Message-ID: <9012262049.AA28348@iecc.cambridge.ma.us>
Date: 27 Dec 90 01:49:48 GMT
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In-Reply-To: <1990Dec27.004813.25021@news.cs.indiana.edu>

In article <1990Dec27.004813.25021@news.cs.indiana.edu> you write:
>If the DES enryption algorythm is PD, please send me a copy

The DES algorithm is most definitely PD.  It was published in the Federal
Register, Vol 40 No 149, August 1 1975, pages 32395-32414.  If you're not
familiar with the Federal Register, it's an enormous and generally incredibly
boring journal put out by the government in which is published all of the
government's public notices.  It is not copyrighted; I have a xerox of the DES
on my desk.  Run down to the library and make your own copy.

It is also available as FIPS 46, published by NIST, and ANSI X3.92-1981.  FIPS
are distributed by NTIS.  ANSI distributes their own stuff, you can call them
in New York to get their price.  Neither is free.

I'm not aware of any on-line version of DES.  It'd be a pain to type in, as it
contains lots of subscripts, tables of numbers, and line drawings.  Perhaps
some generous soul can come up with a pic+troff or postscript version.

DES specifies an algorithm that takes a 64 bit plain text and a 56 bit key to
produce a 64 bit encrypted text, and vice-versa.  A related document is FIPS
81 or ANSI X3.106-1983 which defines ways to use DES to encrypt longer
messages.

Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl