It is two 80-bit "halfs"

From Mail sent via the Clipper Mailing list, forwarded to me:

In a conversation with NSA today, I was told that two random 80-bit numbers will be XORed to produce the 80-bit key and the two individual numbers kept by two separate escrow authorities -- who they are is to be decided. So your suggestion is, in fact, how it will be handled.

martin hellman

/HARRY -- Harry Shapiro habs@panix.com List Administrator of the Extropy Institute Mailing List Private Communication for the Extropian Community since 1991