Uh roommate must have predicted the future because this is about a private key for a certificate authority using the number “4” as their whole private key recently. As well as a couple other low digit numbers
Wait, xlcd? One of my laptops had the keys randomly not do what they are supposed to, and some give values like that, but it will give like three of those, than switch to another string to endlessly repeat after that. I don’t know what the fuck is going on.
256 bit and 512 bit encryption are somewhat common. A 256 bit private key is 64 characters long (I’m simplifying this, don’t @ me about it being hex). A 512 bit private key is twice as long. That long string of random characters is what gives this type of encryption its power. It’s essentially unguessable, even with a computer and a lot of time.
Using “4” as your private key would significantly undermine security. Hackers can’t check every possible option for a 512 bit key, but they can certainly (and trivially) try simple numbers padded by 0’s, like our “4” private key.
You’ve taken a strong and proven system and made it trivially weak. That’s the joke. It’s not that funny, but that’s what you’re missing.
my college roommate made this joke in 2009, complete with the ‘4’
i still don’t get it lol
Uh roommate must have predicted the future because this is about a private key for a certificate authority using the number “4” as their whole private key recently. As well as a couple other low digit numbers
https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/10/the-internet-goes-on-high-alert-after-discovery-of-8-compromised-tls-certs/
EDIT: your roommate might have been talking about this XKCD comic https://xkcd.com/221/
yes! i think so! he was the one who introduced me to xkcd!
Wait, xlcd? One of my laptops had the keys randomly not do what they are supposed to, and some give values like that, but it will give like three of those, than switch to another string to endlessly repeat after that. I don’t know what the fuck is going on.
LMAO what? That’s wild
I gotcha bud.
It’s a riff on the olive meme.
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hungry-but-too-tired-to-cook-try-30-to-40-olives
256 bit and 512 bit encryption are somewhat common. A 256 bit private key is 64 characters long (I’m simplifying this, don’t @ me about it being hex). A 512 bit private key is twice as long. That long string of random characters is what gives this type of encryption its power. It’s essentially unguessable, even with a computer and a lot of time.
Using “4” as your private key would significantly undermine security. Hackers can’t check every possible option for a 512 bit key, but they can certainly (and trivially) try simple numbers padded by 0’s, like our “4” private key.
You’ve taken a strong and proven system and made it trivially weak. That’s the joke. It’s not that funny, but that’s what you’re missing.
Hope that helps.
very helpful, thank you!!