The key is in the bit length, which deals with the strength of the underlying cryptography and resulting cipher. Over time, we must continue to expand the bit length, the strength quotient. We are confident in government-produced cryptographic systems and their algorithms. We work hard to ensure that high-grade systems stay ahead of the curve. However, Jacobs continues, this requires a lot of customer discipline in the proper use of a system.
Awareness is a command function, and increasingly it is becoming more important.
There are more components in today's protected systems. In the past, cryptographic devices were simply installed in a turnkey fashion on communications systems and began operating. Today, networks begin at the desktop, involving operating systems, routers and firewalls. While the cryptographic black box might be secure, vulnerability could lurk somewhere else in the network, he insists. To a great extent, security depends on system configuration.