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Re: MAC speeds
In article <Pine.BSI.3.91.1000315102404.16490C-100000@spsystems.net>,
Henry Spencer <henry@spsystems.net> wrote:
> On 14 Mar 2000, D. J. Bernstein wrote:
> > Asking how much scrutiny a Wegman-Carter-type authentication system has
> > received is like asking how much scrutiny counter mode has received:
> > you're missing the point. The security is _provably_ as good as the
> > encryption function you plug in.
>
> That just shifts the problem one step: how much scrutiny has that proof had?
Lots. This particular proof is taught in (some/many) graduate theory
classes, and is an especially simple one as well.
For some proofs (especially lengthy, complex, recent, or obscure proofs),
there are very good reasons to start asking questions like this, but the
proof of security for Wegman-Carter-like authentication is not one of them.
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