Re: VMs: Giants of the Past

[Jim Gillogly <jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

CWLee wrote:
> With all due respect to D'Imperio, Friedman, Manly, Tiltman,
> and other cryptologists of their era, I note that their work
> was all done before the advent of today's superfast
> computers - right?  Thus, there may be things that can be
> learned today about the VMS using cryptological methods that
> were impractical to attempt as recently as 25 years ago.  I
> urge us not to assume that if it wasn't solved by past
> giants of cryptology that it will never be solved using
> cryptological methods.

It's certainly true that we have faster computers than were
available last year, or last decade.  However, it's my firm
opinion that the cryptographers who were looking at it 35
years ago (including some of us on the list) were limited
not by computing power but by ideas and algorithms.  I don't
want to discourage you from applying big iron to your ideas,
but *I* never felt over the last 35 years that I was limited
in what I could try by lack of computing facilities.
--
	Jim Gillogly

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