Brute Force Key Attacks

From Wolfekipedia

Theoretical Limits of Brute Force Key Attacks

Wikipedia on thermodynamical limits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brute_force_attack#Theoretical_limits

Coding Horror: 128 bits makes a really big number! http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000631.html

Imagine a computer that is the size of a grain of sand that can test keys against some encrypted data. Also imagine that it can test a key in the amount of time it takes light to cross it. Then consider a cluster of these computers, so many that if you covered the earth with them, they would cover the whole planet to the height of 1 meter. The cluster of computers would crack a 128-bit key on average in 1,000 years.

However, My own calculations show that it would take just 0.11 seconds, for a grain size of 0.1 mm (still fairly course sand.) Hmmm... More to come.

Strange Attraction 20:44, 21 August 2008 (CDT)