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Date:      Thu, 04 May 2000 08:35:13 +0200
From:      Mark Murray <mark@grondar.za>
To:        "Andrew J. Korty" <ajk@iu.edu>
Cc:        Matthew Dillon <dillon@apollo.backplane.com>, security@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Cryptographic dump(8) 
Message-ID:  <200005040635.IAA05693@grimreaper.grondar.za>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0005031329440.21805-100000@kobayashi.uits.iupui.edu> ; from "Andrew J. Korty" <ajk@iu.edu>  "Wed, 03 May 2000 13:39:26 EST."
References:  <Pine.BSF.4.21.0005031329440.21805-100000@kobayashi.uits.iupui.edu> 

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> That sounds good, but I should probably leave the very first
> header as cleartext.  That way, I can put a flag there to tell
> restore whether or not this tape is encrypted or not.

Fair enough.

> >     Also, putting a random number in each block is important if each block
> >     is separately encrypted, for the same reason.
> 
> Would it be acceptable to encrypt the header and block together
> but each header/block pair separately?  I don't think I have room
> to add anything in the block, so maybe I could get that randomness
> from what I add to the header (CBC should propagate it a little).

The more you separate, the better chance you give for certain types of
attacks; you are not giving much at all, but you are adding a tiny
weakness. Attackers can use anything "known" about the structure
of the data, and you are giving them the boundaries.

M
--
Mark Murray
Join the anti-SPAM movement: http://www.cauce.org


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