[Cryptography] Definition of useful life?

Bob Wilson wilson at math.wisc.edu
Mon Jul 10 12:43:13 EDT 2017


In digest volume 51, issue 11, there was a mention of
> There's a twenty-year-old HSM, IBM's 4758
which inspired me to review what that device did. Present day 
descendants are described by IBM at
> http://www.ibm.com/security/cryptocards/pciecc/pdf/PCIe_Spec_Sheet.pdf
That in turn includes a statement (which resembles a great many warranty 
statements)
> During the final manufacturing step, the coprocessor generates aunique 
> public/private key pair, which is stored in the device. The tamper 
> detection circuitry is activated at this time and remains active 
> throughout the useful life of the coprocessor, protecting this private 
> key, as well as all other keys and sensitive data. 
Doesn't that use of "the useful life" amount to a tautology, i.e. "when 
it no longer does what you bought it for it is no longer useful"?

I don't think this is really off-topic since something equivalent to 
that tautological usage is probably contained or implied in what a 
manufacturer says about any of the products we work on!
(It's like a "lifetime guarantee" that the maker implements by killing 
you if the product breaks...)
Bob Wilson


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