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Re: starting on asking THE QUESTION
On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> Should we make the change to the standard (other than switch from DES to 3DES)
> 2a) This Year
> 2b) Next Year
I suggest narrowing the debate slightly: it seems to me that the question
before this assembly :-) is whether to add a second cipher more or less
immediately, i.e. this year. It is quite likely that the progress of AES
will inspire a further addition somewhat later, and other developments
could well have the same effect, but the question which needs to be
decided *now* is whether to add another cipher *now*. The question of
later additions can, and should, be postponed.
> Should the 2nd cipher be:
> 3a) An existing non-DES cipher
> 3b) One of the 5 AES finalists
If my proposed narrowing of debate is accepted, I think this question
answers itself: the AES finalists are too new for there to be widespread
confidence in them *now*. (The key word is "widespread".)
The crucial question is whether an existing non-DES cipher should be added
promptly, or whether changes other than DES->3DES should be deferred until
at least next year.
Henry Spencer
henry@spsystems.net
(henry@zoo.toronto.edu)
References: