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From: phoffman@well.UUCP (Paul Hoffman)
Newsgroups: net.crypt
Subject: Re: Efficient identification and signature schemes
Message-ID: <1508@well.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Jul-86 23:02:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: well.1508
Posted: Mon Jul 28 23:02:57 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 29-Jul-86 02:57:52 EDT
References: <8607201331.AA27476@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <1474@well.UUCP> <990@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: phoffman@well.UUCP (Paul Hoffman)
Organization: Whole Earth Lectronic Link, Sausalito CA
Lines: 13

>I'm not absolutely sure, but I believe RSA Data Security's package
>just uses RSA to pass DES-like keys, and/or to do signature/authentication
>of some portion of the message.

Correct (unless I misunderstood the method when I wrote the manual). It is
really a DES system with public keys; many contend that this is the best of
both worlds.

>I think the decrypt time for a roughly
>512-bit block must be on the order of tens of seconds for a stock PC.

Absolutely incorrect. With a hard disk, a 5K text file encrypts in about 5
seconds on my stock PC.