> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Rebey [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 7:52 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: Cipher question...
>
>
<skipped>
>
> Even if all 64 bytes in my seed array are the same, (say for instance
> 0x03F567A2) isn't
> 0x03F567A203F567A203F567A203F567A203F567A203F567A2.....(out
> to 256 bytes) a
> sufficiently large and sufficiently "random value " with
> which to seed the
> RNG? How could someone predict that?
The problem is that I don't have to predict
0x03F567A203F567A203F567A203F567A203F567A203F567A2..., but just 67A2 if I
only knows the DAY in which you seed you PRNG... If I can guess the hour and
minute (by looking at the message header) I only have to guess A2!... not a
terribly difficult issue ;^)
The problem is usually confusing seeding a PRNG to obtain unrelated
sequences (as needed when using montecarlo techniques fro statistical
analysis) and when one need to obtain UNPREDICTABLE sequences. Here we're
talking of the second case; your approach may be valid for the first case
but not at all for cryptographic activities.
HTH
Bernard
--------------------------------------------
Bernard Dautrevaux
Microprocess Ingéniérie
97 bis, rue de Colombes
92400 COURBEVOIE
FRANCE
Tel: +33 (0) 1 47 68 80 80
Fax: +33 (0) 1 47 88 97 85
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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