Subj : Numbers stations
To   : Deuce
From : Digital Man
Date : Wed Aug 17 2005 01:22 am

  Re: Numbers stations
  By: Deuce to Angus McLeod on Tue Aug 16 2005 11:40 am

 >  >  > The quantum entangled single photon method should be a winner...
 >  >  > http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/e6/0c030ee6.asp
 >  >
 >  > <groan>  I'm going to have equipment for examining the state of a quantum
 >  > state, and when the secret police kick the door down, I will explain it
 >  > all away as a new type of espresso machine...
 >  >
 >  >  > Of course, if you want a 100% guarantee, that means you have to 100% t
 >  >  > person(s) at the other end.  The only way to 100% guarantee something 
 >  >  > compromised is to never record it or pass it on to anyone.
 >  >
 >  > For the sake of argument, I make the assumption that the two ends of the
 >  > communications path are secure.  No amount of coding is going to help if
 >  > The Enemy have a camera concealed in the ceiling, watching you type out
 >  > the plain-text before encyphering!
 > 
 > Of course, using a rotating schedule of magazines as the OTP would work pret
 > well I would assume... or even various local newspapers...

The problem with text as the OTP, rather than purely random data, is that text,
however radomly chosen, still has a predictable pattern which can lead to the
ciphertext being decoded.

                                                  digital man

Snapple "Real Fact" #111:
Only male turkeys gobble. 

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