Cryptography set to enter its prime

Rob Stringer

Cryptographic systems could benefit dramatically from the discovery of the two largest prime numbers ever calculated.

Scientists in the US and Germany found the prime numbers (those which are only divisible by one or by themselves) within two weeks of each other as part of the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search which has spent 12 years on the assignment.

The University of California, Los Angeles, found the largest of the two prime numbers, containing 12 978 189 digits, and were followed by computer user Hans-Michael Elvenich in Germany whose discovery contained 11 185 272 digits.

Cryptographic systems are made effective through the difficulty in factoring primes, and a larger prime will boost security.

UCLA will enjoy a $100 000 (£55 000) prize, awarded by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) who sponsored the search, for breaking the 10 000 000 digit record.

Latest news