The RSA Challenges - RIP

[BotXXX]

There are no more prizes to give out and/or get a confirmation of the correct answer from RSA-Labs, the RSA Factoring and RSA Secret-Key challenges have all been recently cancelled.

The RSA Factoring Challenge
http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/node.asp?id=2092

The RSA Laboratories Secret-Key Challenge
http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/node.asp?id=2100

[bdodson]

Originally Posted by BotXXX

There are no more prizes to give out and/or get a confirmation of the correct answer from RSA-Labs, the RSA Factoring and RSA Secret-Key challenges have all been recently cancelled.
...

Along with kilobit snfs, rip. -bd

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by bdodson

Along with kilobit snfs, rip. -bd

I can guess why.

[jasonp]

Originally Posted by bdodson

Along with kilobit snfs, rip. -bd

How does this follow?

PS: Maybe this means all the silly people who try to factor RSA numbers using trial division will finally go away (though in truth there weren't that many to begin with; even PrimeGrid is doing a little useful work)

[ET_]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

I can guess why.

I was to ask why, then read Bob's avatar: "There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots!"

Luigi

[R.D. Silverman]

Originally Posted by ET_

I was to ask why, then read Bob's avatar: "There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots!"

Luigi

There are several possibilities.

(1) Someone informed the company that he/she has developed a fast
factoring algorithm.

i.e. The company no longer has confidence in the security of the RSA
algorithm.

(2) Someone in the EMC management chain decided that they did not
want to carry the liability.

(3) They have decided that the algorithm has had enough scrutiny.

(4) Randomness.

I will leave for others to decide whether the cancellation says anything about
EMC's confidence in the RSA algorithm.

I am only guessing, but I regard (2) as most likely.

[AntonVrba]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

There are several possibilities.

(1) Someone informed the company that he/she has developed a fast
factoring algorithm.

i.e. The company no longer has confidence in the security of the RSA
algorithm.

(2) Someone in the EMC management chain decided that they did not
want to carry the liability.

(3) They have decided that the algorithm has had enough scrutiny.

(4) Randomness.

I will leave for others to decide whether the cancellation says anything about
EMC's confidence in the RSA algorithm.

I am only guessing, but I regard (2) as most likely.

After the announcement that 2^1039-1 = p7 * p80 * p227 I second Bob's guess that (2) is most likely.

[jtavares]

Terrible news

[jasonp]

Originally Posted by jtavares

Terrible news

Why? The RSA numbers are still there, and nobody (who is serious) tries to factor them to win prize money...

[Visu]

Originally Posted by R.D. Silverman

(2) Someone in the EMC management chain decided that they did not
want to carry the liability.

What liability? The US$605,000 they would have to give out if someone

factorises the rest of the challenge numbers? This is unlikely to happen

unless (1) happens.

[Cruelty]

I wonder what distributed.net will do now