Re: Encryption algorithm used for the IBMi OS passwords.

Buck,

Of course tools exist which may be used to crack algorithms. Whether "your"
algorithm can be cracked or not depends on a lot of factors. So I reject
the notion that ONLY published algorithms should ever be used. If a hacker
has the algorithm, then he has half the puzzle solved. The other half is
the key, generally. The fact that you "hide" your keys should be viewed as
"security by obscurity", under the definitions and parameters discussed in
this thread.






On Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 10:46 AM, Buck Calabro <kc2hiz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On 4/5/2016 11:24 AM, Nathan Andelin wrote:

Truth is, hackers can't crack a key until they've first cracked an
algorithm.

I used to think so too, but my thinking changed after reading about
Enigma, Minoan Linear B, and the Copiale cipher (which was very
interesting, as the crackers didn't even know what the plaintext source
language was, much less the algorithm used to generate the ciphertext!)

Unpublished algorithms, used privately, internally could be a
major obstacle to hackers.

Programmer Anonymous /could be/ the 1,975,623rd 'inventor' of ROT-13.
Or he /could be/ Adi Shamir. Given the distribution of crypto
proficiency among the general population, is not the former
statistically more probable than the latter?

--
--buck

Trust, but verify.