XPost: alt.folklore.computers   
   From: johnl@taugh.com   
      
   According to c186282  :   
   >   If you know something ABOUT 'the pad' - like how   
   >   many letters/numbers and how it's used - that may   
   >   offer some attack options, at least narrow things   
   >   down at bit.   
      
   No, a real OTP is unbreakable.  The problem is that for every byte   
   of message you need a byte of key, so distributing the keys and   
   using them correctly is a logistical nightmare.   
      
   Venona decrpted Soviet messages that used OTPs because   
   sone of the putative OTPs in fact were used more than once   
   which was enough to let the US crack them.   
      
   --   
   Regards,   
   John Levine, johnl@taugh.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for   
   Dummies",   
   Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. https://jl.ly   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)