PGP & GPG

20 Chapter 1

of some weakness in the algorithm, the task of guessing the

remaining 10 bits becomes much much easier. There are only

1024 possible combinations of 10 bits, and a computer can run

through those combinations in very little time. The reality is

that the security of a transaction is far more dependent on the

algorithm used than on the number of bits used. Some algo-

rithms are more secure with 80-bit keys than other algorithms

with 160-bit keys because some algorithms are simply stronger

than others.

You can think of algorithms and bits much like tires. A

semi has 18 tires in motion simultaneously, whereas your car

has only 4 tires. You car isn’t any less useful than a semi, how-

ever—it’s just used in different circumstances. Your ...