FC: Danish IT minister releases GSM security report, claims A5/1 OK

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

An article I wrote in 1999 on the A5/1 algorithm being broken:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,32900,00.html

The Biryukov-Shamir-Wagner paper:
http://www.ccc.de/mirrors/cryptome.org/a51-bsw.htm

-Declan

----- Forwarded message from Bo Elkjaer <boo () datashopper dk> -----

From: Bo Elkjaer <boo () datashopper dk>
Subject: Report on GSM security, danish ministry of it- & science
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 16:28:44 +0200 (CEST)

The danish minister of IT- & science Birte Weiss has delivered a report on
GSM security, use of encryption and interception. The main conclusions has
been posted on the parliament website at
http://www.ft.dk/Samling/20001/udvbilag/FKU/Almdel_bilag202.htm

The document is in danish, but the main conclusions are:

Tha algorithm A5/1 has not been broken in connection with use in a
GSM-system.

Unauthorized interception by breaking the encryption is not practically
possible.

The minister says, that the decision to use only 54 bits out of the 64
bits possible, by setting the last ten bits to zero, was made with
reference to COCOM export regulations. GSM Association recommends that
telecom providers start implementing use of the last ten bits. The four
danish cell phone providers Tele Danmark (TDC), Mobilix, Sonofon and Telia
has already started implementing the use of the last ten bits.

This report is built in parts on the dutch minister of defences report to
the dutch parliament on Echelon-like interceptions.

Yours

-- 


EOT 



----- End forwarded message -----



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