----- Original Message -----
From: "Morlock Elloi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Most hardware solutions that I'm aware of support 1024-bit modular
arithmetic.
> I don't know how easy or hard it is to do 2048-bit ops with 1024-bit
> primitives, or is there any 2048-bit HW around.
For encryption, you're out of luck, just the overhead is sending the data
over the relatively slow link to the device is longer than it takes a 486 to
do the 2048-bit encryption (or signature verification). For
decryption/signing the matter is entirely different. Assuming that p and q
are known on decryption, it's a fairly simple matter to use the Chinese
Remainder Theorem along with the 1024-bit mod-exponentiators, to get the
correct answer. The problem is that some of those same decryption/signing
engines already use this trick and so they really only support 512-bit ops,
in which case you're in the same boat as the encryption.
The good part of all this is that many companies are now expanding their
line to offer 2048-bit capable machines, so it shouldn't be long before
everyone can finally retire their 1024-bit keys, and maintain speed.
Joe
