Re: Encryption algorithm used for the IBMi OS passwords.

I don't understand, Nathan, why you are arguing this.

Mostly, I think that organizations which decide to hide their protocols,
processes, and algorithms, shouldn't be mocked by "experts", who are
selling "tools"; who's main motivation is to have their tools as widely
used as possible, under the guise of best practices.

Truth is, hackers can't crack a key until they've first cracked an
algorithm. Unpublished algorithms, used privately, internally could be a
major obstacle to hackers.

Business can't use encryption that is so proprietary that you cant even
get any hardware that it will run on let alone the software that does the
encryption, if in fact there is software involved (that would be military
grade encryption). Businesses need to communicate to outside entities to
conduct their business.

I'm not arguing against that.

That requires standardized encryption.

I understand that.

Nothing that runs everywhere is so obscure that every hacker on the planet
can't take a crack at it.

You're using a double negative in that sentence. To clarify, I believe
you're saying that hackers can crack algorithms that run everywhere, which
is just stating the obvious.

Again, I'm not arguing against published algorithms which are vetted "in
the open". I'm suggesting that using a private algorithm crafted by an
expert may be more secure than algorithms which have been published.