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List:       tuhs
Subject:    [TUHS] OT: Patternless Encryption
From:       cdl () mpl ! ucsd ! edu (Carl Lowenstein)
Date:       2003-07-08 18:22:13
Message-ID: 200307081822.h68IMDS13834 () opihi ! ucsd ! edu
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> From: "Joel Martinez" <president at coherent-logic.com>
> To: <tuhs at minnie.tuhs.org>
> Subject: Re: [TUHS] OT: Patternless Encryption
> Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 11:35:24 -0600
> 
> Is it possible to do this with a fixed length key?
> 
> > Such a thing exists, it is called a one-time pad.  Generate a
> > completely random key as long as the plaintext, and then XOR each
> > successive bit of the key with the corresponding bit of the plaintext.
> > The result is indistinguishable from random noise; only someone with
> > an identical copy of the key can decrypt it (using precisely the same
> > method of course).

For various degrees of security, depending on the length of the key.
Keys are not used directly for encryption, but are used to generate
cryptographically secure pseudo-random sequences.  

As a starting point, look at
    < http://www.mindspring.com/~schlafly/crypto/faq.htm >

    carl
-- 
    carl lowenstein         marine physical lab     u.c. san diego
                                                 clowenst at ucsd.edu

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