Clicks from a Geiger Counter, Johnson noise, etc. are quantum-based events. Feed them into a file to be used for PGP, and voila.(possible duplicate message) What technology is available to create a 2048-bit RSA key pair so that:1 - the randomness comes from quantum noise
Set up a script to copy the private part of the PGP key onto a diskette or whatever. Erase the private key from the computer.2 - no one knows the secret part,
Or move the entire computer into the box in #3.
3 - The secret part is kept in the "box" and it is safe as long as the box is physically secured (expense of securing the box is a don't care).
Lock the above diskette in the box. Or the computer in the box.
I don't know about this. Others can say whether today's CPUs can do key signings in 0.1 mS.
4 - "box" can do high-speed signing (say, 0.1 mS per signature) over some kind of network interface
Less doable. Fakery is easy. Even if they personally witnessed the above procedures, all sorts of subliminal channels or other sleight of hand tricks could be done.
5 - you can reasonably convince certain people (that stand to lose a lot and have huge resources) in 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Backup in the same box? Easy for someone to sabotage or destroy. Or steal.6 - The operation budget is around $1m (maintenance not included). 7 - attacker's budget is around $100m 8 - the key must never be destroyed, so backup is essential.
In other words, convincing translation of a crypto problem into physical security problem.
It looks like the key gets created on the same box(es) on which it is stored, which all interested parties inspected to any desireable level. Once everyone is comfortable the button gets pressed to create/distribute the key, and then you put goons with AKs around the boxes and pray that no one fucked with the microprocessor ... this may mean buying the components at random.
Good luck. --Tim May -- Timothy C. May [EMAIL PROTECTED] Corralitos, California Political: Co-founder Cypherpunks/crypto anarchy/Cyphernomicon Technical: physics/soft errors/Smalltalk/Squeak/ML/agents/games/Go Personal: b.1951/UCSB/Intel '74-'86/retired/investor/motorcycles/guns Recent interests: category theory, toposes, algebraic topology
