The NSA data center in Utah, USA will be a nightmare for all of us. There is talk that that these new supercomputers may be able to brute force break strong encryption. Hitherto, the NSA computers have not been able to break strong encryption...but this may change in 2013 or so. This raises a major dilemma. I am somewhat suspicious of the claims but if it is true no one is safe.

Emails, Internet, phone...it really wouldn't matter...privacy would be dead.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/0 ... nter/all/1

It seems, the "total information awareness programm" ist going on.

The new NSA super computer facilities in Bluffdale are not mainly build for breaking encryption. At first it will be a great storage center. It will store all Google search queries, e-mail and fax traffic and so on.

Plans for using the super computer facilities in Bluffdale for breaking encryptions are rumors. There is a nice aticle by Bruce Schneier: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/ ... a_bre.html

But we can not value the "total information awareness programm" highly enough. The Bluffdale data center is part of a dangerous evolution in surveillance.

JonDo uses DSA 1024. JonDo should seriously consider increasing bit size from 1024 to at least RSA 2048, preferably RSA 4096 (a more long term solution). Few VPNs or network proxies use RSA 4096. Yes, 4096 is overkill but the number must be looked at in two ways:

1. It gives a more long term solution.
2. Consumers love big numbers...marketing is important.

DSA is not the same as RSA.We probably won't ever use RSA with 4096bit as this is a huge speed penalty especially for our three hop system. That said, updating the crypto is already on our ToDo list and we currently plan to use ECC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliptic_ ... yptography in a reasonable fashion.

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Yes, I know this. DSA is not based on factoring. That is why I stated JonDo uses DSA, not RSA. The overall point was that with new NSA supercomputers, RSA 1024, and probably others as well, including DSA and smaller AES bits, may no longer be safe.




Yes, Georg! I made a post on Oct 11, 2011 (viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6251) stating that people and organizations involved in Internet privacy should seriously consider ECC. However, I was not sure this would be implemented. ECC may very well be the future of asymmetric encryption.

Yes, RSA 4096 is overkill, no question, and slow...but I have my reasons and you have yours.

Best.

Fortunately Mr. Ahmadinejad is working on a solution for all of us

Seems, the story of the "iran nuclear bomb" is a story and not more. May be, an update is required for Wikipedia.

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/ ... ?mobile=nc


(US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta!)

But the "total information awareness programm" is not only a story, it is real.

small update: I read the full Wikipedia article behind your link and I found:

Why don´t we have a nuclear-weapons free zone in the Mideast? Who is not supporting?

The so called free media, which in reality is controlled, is lying about the Iranian threat. Israel, which was founded in 1948 with terrorism, remains a terrorist state. Iran has not invaded anyone in over a hundred years.

The Western press, so heavily controlled by Globalist and Zionist interests and sympathizers, would have us believe that the president of Iran, who is not even the real power in Iran, called for "Israel to be wiped off the map."

This is complete and utter fabrication--a total mistranslation of the original Farsi. The president of Iran stated (in quotation no less) that the regime occupying Jerusalem must cease.

Frankly, although no one wants to see a nuclear armed world, the fact remains:

Israel has over 200 (maybe over 300) nuclear weapons; Israel will not sign the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty; Israel does not allow inspections; Israel has a bloody history, both in the present world and in antiquity.

Even If Iran were trying to obtain nuclear weapons--so what? We live in a dangerous world. Iran, like all states, has a right to self defense; it is absurd to suggest otherwise.

We all witnessed what happened to Libya. The West persuaded Libya not to seek nuclear weapons--and then NATO destroyed the country. Why would Iran want to remain without a nuclear weapon and end up like Libya? Libyans enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa--now the country is rubble.

Having a nuclear weapon is a deterrent--it prevents wars and will allow Iran more hegemony in the Middle East, something which the West trembles about.

The West wants a puppet state in the Middle East who is beholden to Western, in particular, Anglo-American/Zionist interests.

Enough is enough.