Originally Posted by
bocastephen
All data should be encrypted by PGP, although the government is said to have a backdoor to the algorithm, making it likely they can eventually 'hack' your password - but it would still take them a long time. All encryption products sold legally in the USA (and other countries have their own requirements), must provide some information on the algorithm to the government.
Just because the algorithm is published doesn't mean that it's insecure or that there are backdoors.
The algorithm for AES, arguably the most secure encryption algorithm, is widely known but hasn't been cracked yet. You have to know the key in order to break it. If the key is compromised, it's fair game.
It hasn't been brute forced yet. It would take trillions of years with a 128 bit key to brute force it, and 256 bit keys are commonly used. I haven't been able to find any evidence that AES has been broken by other means.
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/aesq&a.htm
With the publicity of the algorithm, if there were a back door, it would have been blown open a long time ago. Especially if it was created by foreigners like AES was.
Super