3 ms·
Implementing cryptography isn't that hard, the algorithms are fairly simple. You can write RSA for example in a couple of hours if you already have BigInt imple
by marcus 19y ago
Implementing cryptography isn't that hard, the algorithms are fairly simple. You can write RSA for example in a couple of hours if you already have BigInt implemented. The hard part is the math behind the algorithms that makes them work and be secure, but thats what we have Schneier for...
Although I wouldn't recommend implementing them yourself, unless you have a very good reason for it, as Linus once said "Given sufficient eyeballs all bugs are shallow", in Cryptography that is doubly important.
- pius 19y agoOf course implementing someone else's algorithm is fairly easy. Coming up with the next RSA, though, is very difficult.
- evgen 19y agoActually, I would say that the math behind the algorithms is not the hard part (someone else already did the hard work, as you mention); the hard part about crypto is learning all of the subtle ways that you can screw something up. This is the reason you should never implement your own crypto code -- by definition it will suck for a long, long time.