Rattle wrote:

] Isn't every military/government encryption system classified?

Sort of. Fortezza isn't, but pen and paper transposition ciphers from the first world war are. Its a matter of need to know. :)

] Do you think they are using some flavor of PKI that the public
] has not their hands on?

I don't think they are using PKI. However, I KNOW they are using stuff the public doesn't have their hands on. Ask me offline if you're curious.

] If its a well designed system, and I'd assume it is, knowing
] how it works dosen't make it any less secure.

This is a fair assumption in most private sector security situations, but it is not a fair assumption in military cryptography. The more information your opponent has, the more likely it is that they will break your ciphers. We would never have cracked enigma if we hadn't gotten access to the machines themselves.

RE: HoustonChronicle.com - Top secret part among the shuttle debris