eSecurity Planet: Software & Internet Security Trends, Virus Alerts

November 23, 2009

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RSA

Last modified: Tuesday, April 15, 1997

An public-key encryption technology developed by RSA Data Security, Inc. The acronym stands for Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman, the inventors of the technique. The RSA algorithm is based on the fact that there is no efficient way to factor very large numbers. Deducing an RSA key, therefore, requires an extraordinary amount of computer processing power and time.

The RSA algorithm has become the de facto standard for industrial-strength encryption, especially for data sent over the Internet. It is built into many software products, including Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. The technology is so powerful that the U.S. government has restricted exporting it to foreign countries.

A similar technology that is also used widely is offered by a company called Cylink.

RSA Data Security home page
Site of RSA Data Security Inc, creators of the RSA encryption technology used in Netscape Navigator, Quicken, Lotus Notes, and hundreds of other products.