[Infowarrior] - Chinese Professor Cracks Fifth Data Encryption Algorithm

[Richard Forno]

Chinese Professor Cracks Fifth Data Encryption Algorithm
SHA-1 added to list of "accomplishments"
Central News Agency
    Jan 11, 2007
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-1-11/50336.html

Associate professor Wang Xiaoyun of Beijing's Tsinghua University and
Shandong University of Technology has cracked SHA-1, a widely used online
data encryption algorithm. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

TAIPEI‹In five years, the U.S. government will cease to use SHA-1 (Secure
Hash Algorithm) and convert to a new and more advanced computer data
encryption, according to the article "Security Cracked!" from New Scientist
. The reason for this change is that 41-years old associate professor Wang
Xiaoyun of Beijing's Tsinghua University and Shandong University of
Technology has already cracked SHA-1.

According to a Beijing digest, this SHA-1 encryption includes the world's
gold standard Message-Digest algorithm 5 (MD5). Before Professor Wang
cracked it, the MD5 could only be deciphered by today's fastest
supercomputer running codes for more than a million years.

However, professor Wang Xiaoyun, a graduate of Shandong University of
Technology's mathematics department, and her research team obtained results
by using ordinary personal computers.

In early 2005, Wang and her research team announced that they had succeeded
in cracking SHA-1. In addition to the U.S. government, well known companies
like Microsoft, Sun, Atmel, and others have also announced that they will no
longer be using SHA-1.

Two years ago, Wang convened an international data encryption conference to
announce that her team had successfully cracked the four world-class
standards of data encryption algorithms of MD5, HAVAL-1 28, MD4 and RIPEMD
within 10 years.

A few months later, she then cracked the even more advanced and difficult
SHA-1.

According to the article, Hash was Wang's area of research. Hash is the
basis of MD5 and SHA-1, the two most extensive data encryption algorithms
now used in the world.

These two main algorithms are currently the crucial technology that
electronic signatures and many other password securities use throughout the
international community. They are widely used in banking, securities, and
e-commerce. SHA-1 has been recognized as the cornerstone for modern Internet
security.

According to the article, in the early stages of Wang's research, there were
other data encryption researchers who tried to crack it. However, none of
them succeeded. This is why in 15 years Hash research had become the domain
of hopeless research in many scientists' minds.

Wang's method of cracking the encryptions differs from all others. Although
encryption analysis usually cannot be done without the use of computers,
according to Wang, the computer only assisted in cracking the algorithm.
Most of the time, she calculated manually, and manually designed the
methods.

Wang said, "Hackers crack passwords with bad intentions. I hope efforts to
protect against password theft will benefit [from this]. Password analysts
work to evaluate the security of data encryption and to search for even more
secure encryption algorithms."

She added, "On the day that I cracked SHA-1, I went out to eat. I was very
excited. I knew I was the only person who knew this world-class secret."

Within ten years, Wang cracked the five biggest names in data encryption.
Many people would think the life of this scientist must be monotonous.
However she said, "That ten years was a very relaxed time for me."

During her work, she bore a daughter and cultivated a balcony full of
flowers. The only mathematics related habit in her life is how she remembers
the license plates of taxi cabs.