Re: [cobalt-security] OpenSSH questions

["E.B. Dreger" <eddy+public+spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

JS> Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2002 10:15:36 -0500
JS> From: Jay Summers


JS> > So for the sake of security I have to give up compression?
JS> 
JS> Yes, probably until they release a fix for it.

See also my earlier post re compression and security.  Encrypting
compressed data (compressed via a non-bijective compressor) is a
decision that depends on personal paranoia level.  Of course,
many uncompressed data formats give clues about what bytes are
expected in what position... so I'm not claiming non-bijective
compression is inherently dangerous.

In fact, I'd argue that the entropy of a compressed stream is
sometimes higher than that of an uncompressed stream, thus
_increasing_ security in certain instances.  Alas, a cryptologist
I am not, so don't put too much faith in that without reading
works by those more skilled than myself.

For an interesting read,

	bijective compression security

on Google.


Eddy
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