Microsoft throws crypto foes an untouchable elliptic curveball (open source encryption code!)

The Register ^ | Sep 15, 2015 | Richard Chirgwin

[dayglored]

This is great stuff. Microsoft is stepping up to the plate and making their research available so as to benefit the public as well as themselves. Kudos!!

[dayglored]

Redmond research produces advanced, fast encryption and makes it available to all ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

[dayglored]

And they named it for YOU!

[doc1019]

Microsoft in the crypto game ... I would laugh if it wasn’t so sad. They can’t even keep their own publicly offered software safe,

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

But, but I thought Microsoft was nothing more than a shill for the NSA.

[zeugma]

This is great stuff. Microsoft is stepping up to the plate and making their research available so as to benefit the public as well as themselves. Kudos!!

Agreed, though it hurts my brain to say it.

Implementations of ECC stuff is tough though, this is going to have to be closely looked at.

[smokingfrog]

Can someone translate this into English?

[dayglored]

> But, but I thought Microsoft was nothing more than a shill for the NSA.

Maybe they decided that reputation was hurting them more than the shilling was worth, and they're comin' around?

[dayglored]

> Can someone translate this into English?

I can't translate the crypto (I have only a vague understanding of what the elliptical stuff is about), so the best I can do is say, the guys in Redmond came up with some much-improved algorithms for encryption, faster and better than what presently exists, and they're making it available to the public for examination, critique, and use.

It's news not just because of the technology, but also because this is something Microsoft historically has not done often. They usually keep things for themselves, proprietarily, but if they did that with some new encryption scheme, nobody would trust it. So they sorta have to play open with it.

But I don't care what their internal motivation is -- I'm just pleased they're making it available.

[TChad]

I wondered what Bruce Schneier had to say about this.

Nothing yet.

[driftdiver]

Yep in 55 more years my non disclosure with the govt will be up and I can say more.

[rarestia]

Microsoft in the crypto game ... I would laugh if it wasn’t so sad.

There's no pleasing the anti-MS trolls, is there? Why bother even saying anything? The fact that you said this tells me that you don't understand what this means.

Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) is a newer form of cryptographic trapdoor that, up to this point, is not able to be cracked. Due to the nature of the mathematics behind the generation of an elliptical curve, it has significant advantages over a random number generator or the use of multiple primes in a complex logarithmic equation. A computer works best when given a set of variables to apply to an equation with an endpoint. ECC provides those variables (a prime number, a curve equation, and a public number) across a complex equation that is, again at this point, impossible to reverse without knowing the exact values selected.

Since ECC is so much more secure than standard number generation, the values selected for the encryption variables can be much smaller than normal which means the computer has to spend significantly less time crunching numbers to reach a prime or a curve equation. If you consider that an average CPU today runs around 3.00 GHz and there are at least 2 of them on a processor die in most PCs, that's 3 billion operations per second (times 2). The article states:

“On Intel’s Haswell, Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge architectures, our software computes a variable-base scalar multiplication in 59,000, 71,000 cycles and 74,000 cycles, respectively; and, on the same platforms, our software computes a Diffie-Hellman shared secret in 92,000, 110,000 cycles and 116,000 cycles, respectively."

This means that on an average computer die, these keys can be generated in 1.967e-5 cycles or 50,000+ keys per second at a minimum; or one DH shared secret in 3.867e-5 cycles or 25862 DH shared secrets per second at a maximum.

The mathematics behind this are very complex and implementation in an operating environment has been slow to adopted. The fact that Microsoft has stepped up and done this tells me three things:

1. They want the public to have this power and they want the MS OS to lead the way with it
2. They are dedicated to encryption technologies against the advising of the US federal government
3. They want their operating environments to be as secure as possible

If you fail to see that and have nothing else to say other than something to bash Microsoft for their efforts, then you are no better than a fanboy having a conniption over a competitor's attempts to make the market stronger for the users overall.

[for-q-clinton]

😊 how do you know I want the one that named it ;-)

[for-q-clinton]

Wasn’t (stupid Swype keyboard)

[itsahoot]

If you fail to see that and have nothing else to say other than something to bash Microsoft for their efforts,

Now you know what every Apple thread poster has to endlessly endure. I am sorry that you have to put up with it too.

[tacticalogic]

Now you know what every Apple thread poster has to endlessly endure. I am sorry that you have to put up with it too.

Maybe we can help by calling anyone who's critical of Microsoft a "hater".

[itsahoot]

Maybe we can help by calling anyone who's critical of Microsoft a "hater".

I try to refrain from either but......Truth is hardware is not the deciding factor for me, it is the OS. I am a hobbyist now and am not likely to invest time in new skills at my age.

[Swordmaker]

Yep in 55 more years my non disclosure with the govt will be up and I can say more.

You will pardon us if we don't hold our breaths until then, I hope. GRIN!

[Swordmaker]

Microsoft has just released a new, fast encryption technique into the open for others to examine to assure themselves of it's security and to allow all to use it. It is Elliptical Curve Cryptography that uses smaller seed numbers that make it easier calculate quickly using modern desktop level processors to both encrypt and decrypt data for transmission. Microsoft joins Apple and Google in not cooperating with the US Government in letting them have access to user data. — PING!

More Secure Computing by Encryption
Ping!

The Latest Apple/Mac/iOS Pings can be found by searching Keyword “ApplePingList” on Freerepublic’s Search.

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[IncPen]

When encryption is outlawed, woeiru sosdidkx.z.