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From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: net.crypt
Subject: Re: factoring algorithms and RSA public key code
Message-ID: <980@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 16-Feb-86 00:36:30 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.980
Posted: Sun Feb 16 00:36:30 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Feb-86 04:22:16 EST
References: <5083@stolaf.UUCP> <1404@panda.UUCP>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.ARPA
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In article <1404@panda.UUCP> plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson) writes:
>I recently heard (second hand) that RSA has been rendered effectively
>useless due to an advance in the strategy of factoring large numbers.
>Apparently the general factoring problem remains "difficult", but
>factoring large numbers that contain large prime factors is now provably
>"easy".  I believe that the advance comes from MIT but I do not know
>who the researchers are.  The National Security Agency also has known
>about this for some time, I have heard.

Yet another illustration of the folly of basing cryptosystems
on the presumed ignorance of the "enemy".