Blind Luck and the RSA Data Security Challenge

TidBITS reader Cerebus the Aadvark <[email protected]> sent us email commenting on the RSA Data Security Challenge coverage in TidBITS 402. We noted that Peter Stuer’s Intel-based PC from the STARlab Bovine Team solved the RSA 56-bit challenge. Cerebus wrote, "the majority of the computers in STARLab were Macs, and Peter lamented the fact that the solution hadn’t been found on one of the Macs. In fact, the Apple Evangelistas team, despite spotting everyone a hundred-day lead, processed far more keys than any other team. Also, you should have pointed out that which machine ‘broke’ the key was a matter of plain blind luck. We’re going to kick major butt on the 64-bit challenge! "