ietf-openpgp
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Re: SERPENT in OpenPGP?

2010-08-27 06:55:00

This is a tricky area.  By trying to create a stronger cipher (and that is 
what you are doing, combining A + B to make cipher C) you are putting 
yourself above the cryptographers ... who presumably tried to make A and B 
quite strong already.

I am surprised no one has observed the combination of ciphers A and B may be no 
better, or even worse, than either A or B by themselves.  As a trivial example, 
double ROT13 is much worse than single ROT13.  As a real-world example, double 
DES is no better than single DES.

It appears to me, at my present level of ignorance, that an abundance of 
caution is appropriate.

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