Re: encrypting a single file

[bob parker <bob_parker@dodo.com.au>]

On Tue, 5 Nov 2002 09:51, Michael Naumann wrote:

>
> If you want unbreakable encryption, you must go for a program able to
> handle a "One Time Pad" and you must only use each Pad once.
>
No not really. Text encrypted with a one time pad decrypts to every possible 
text if and only if the encryption key is the same length as the protected 
text. IE if you encrypt with a short key it is not a one time pad but a many 
time pad. 

Since the problem to be solved is the difficulty of recalling all of the 
original text it is not likely to be helped much if the key is text of the 
same length as the original.

See this link for a discussion of the uselessness of the one time pad in 
computing:

http://www.counterpane.com/crypto-gram-0210.html

Cheers
Bob