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Re: Updates on SRS crypto

2004-02-11 12:29:13

On Feb 11, 2004, at 2:18 PM, Seth Goodman wrote:

[wayne]
...  Until MTAs can accept 100,000 messages in around 1.4
seconds, using SHA1 isn't a problem.

Shevek's data is good enough proof for me that speed isn't an issue.

Since the MTA has to do other things than simply calculate a hash function, I respectfully disagree. SPF is supposed to be lightweight. Every task you add decreases system capacity. Ask the MTA vendors if they have CPU cycles
to burn.

<mta vendor responds>
Certainly enough to calculate a md5 or sha1 checksum on a sub 64 byte message. In fact, running with anti-irus support on we md5 fingerprint 12k messages and still stay above a million messages per hour.

CRC is not a secure hashing method, and randomizing of the key is not a very tractable way to do it either. I'm torn between md5 and sha1 (I personally think that md5 is sufficiently strong for this purpose), but CRC is not a viable option.

George

// George Schlossnagle
// Postal Engine -- http://www.postalengine.com/
// Ecelerity: fastest MTA on earth


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