Crypto hardware (was: Using sound cards to accelerate RSA?)

[Tim May writes about why crypto h/w acceleration using DSPs,
and DSPs in general, are likely doomed niche markets.]

I pretty much agree with Tim, except it's important to realize
that a for a _server_ that is doing a lot of RSA operations, the
difference between a 3.2 second encryption and a 1.9 second
encryption is significant. Peak transaction volume for any
public key-based payment system is going to be a factor of how many
RSA ops you can do per second.

It seems clear though that what's desired for this scenario is
good, dedicated hardware based on ASICs. I've been trying to buy
a sample board from Uti-Maco in Belgium, which looks ideal for
this sort of thing, but have finally given up in the face of
communications problems, their fear of RSA Labs, new Belgian
export controls they haven't tried to work with yet, and their
belief that I need a US crypto import license, which I can't persuade
anyone to admit _exists_.

Anyhow, for personal use, the only dedicated hardware we're likely
to see will not be focused on speed, but rather on security. Stuff
like the various PCMCIA cards from Nat Semi and Telequip, the
"decoder rings" and "decoder keychain do-dads" and so forth that
have security and conveniece benefits.

On Thu, 28 Sep 1995, Douglas Barnes wrote:
[...]
> communications problems, their fear of RSA Labs, new Belgian
> export controls they haven't tried to work with yet, and their
> belief that I need a US crypto import license, which I can't persuade
> anyone to admit _exists_.

There is no such animal under US law.  Note however (1) you need export
permission to re-export the import, just as if it was produced here; (2)
the company may have legitimate fears that it may have liability and/or
bad PR with the feds under either US or Belgian law if you attempt a
re-export; (3) For all I know, Belgian law may require some US paper
showing what you will do with the stuff before they are allowed to export
it. 

A. Michael Froomkin        | +1 (305) 284-4285; +1 (305) 284-6506 (fax)
Associate Professor of Law | 
U. Miami School of Law     | froomkin@law.miami.edu
P.O. Box 248087            | http://www.law.miami.edu/~froomkin
Coral Gables, FL 33124 USA | New address, but it's still just as hot here.