key security
Steve Butler
sbutler@fchn.com
Thu Apr 11 16:57:01 2002
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Security at which level?
If you are talking about the symetric cypher for each individual encryption,
then no. The cypher is of a particular size and the size of you
public/private key doesn't affect that.
However, that cypher is probably more secure than your public/private key
anyway. Breaking it only allows the hacker to read that one message. So,
the hacher would really rather break your private key. At that point a 2048
bit key provides more security than a 1024 bit key (provided both are picked
from an appropriately random pool of available numbers).
That said, it may be easier to go after your pass phrase than to break the
private key directly. So, if you use the same level of pass phrase (length,
pool of characters, etc) then the security at this point doesn't change.
My guess is that the pass phrase is the least secure link in this chain.
Where do chains break?
--Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: Jaya Christina [mailto:jayachristina@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 12:58 AM
To: gnupg-users@gnupg.org
Subject: key security
Hi all,
Will using a 2048 bit key offer more security than a 1024 bit key.. or is
it not going to make any difference??
Jaya
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002>Security at which level?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=228285114-11042002>If you
are talking about the symetric cypher for each individual encryption, then
no. The cypher is of a particular size and the size of you public/private
key doesn't affect that.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002>However, that cypher is probably more secure than your
public/private key anyway. Breaking it only allows the hacker to read that
one message. So, the hacher would really rather break your private
key. At that point a 2048 bit key provides more security than a 1024 bit
key (provided both are picked from an appropriately random pool of available
numbers).</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=228285114-11042002>That
said, it may be easier to go after your pass phrase than to break the private
key directly. So, if you use the same level of pass phrase (length, pool
of characters, etc) then the security at this point doesn't change.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=228285114-11042002>My
guess is that the pass phrase is the least secure link in this chain.
Where do chains break?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002>--Steve</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=228285114-11042002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Jaya Christina
[mailto:jayachristina@hotmail.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 11, 2002
12:58 AM<BR><B>To:</B> gnupg-users@gnupg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> key
security<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Will using a 2048 bit key offer more security
than a 1024 bit key.. or is it not going to make any difference??</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jaya</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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