On 13/08/2010 18:43, FromTheRafters wrote:
> "Dustin"<bughunter.dustin@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9DD3B747B5F97HHI2948AJD832@no...
>
> [...]
>
>> The old addage is this: "Whatever software can do,
>> software can undo."; That does *not* include crypto,
>> however. Another beast entirely.
>
> It can be sucessfully argued that it still holds even for crypto. The
> thing is, the length of time required to do the undoing outlasts the
> value of the retrieved information, so it wouldn't be worth it. In fact
> the time scales involved in software reversing of long keylength crypto
> may be greater than the age of the universe or perhaps even of its
> future expected lifespan (whatever that might be) but I don't see how
> that could ever be provable.

Read up on the relevant math. You won't be able to imagine the orders of
magnitude involved, but you will be able to understand the notation. ;-)

cheers,
wolf k.