Algoritmo de
cifra creado por Ron Rivest, coautor del RSA.
Cifra por
bloques de 64 bits con una clave de tamaño variable (8 a 128 bits).
A series of encryption
algorithms published by RSA Security; all developed by cryptography pioneer Ron
Rivest. (Rivest Cipher 2, or Ron's Code 2 = RC2) All of them are important
commercial implementations of symmetric key cryptography where the entity that
encrypts and the entity that decrypts both must know the same key.
RC2 was developed as a
replacement for DES (Data Encryption Standard) and has been in widespread use
in a number of commercial software packages, for SSL and S/MIME
implementations, and others. It has had an historical advantage over its
competitor, DES, in that, until the laws were liberalized in 2000, along with
RC4, it had special export status. In order to be exported a relatively short
key length, a weak implementation of 40 bits had to be used. E-mail and web
browser interoperability across country borders was a driving factor.
http://www.rsasecurity.com/glossary/
Block cipher designed by Ron
Rivest in 1987. "RC" stands for "Ron's Code" or
"Rivest Cipher"; other ciphers designed by Rivest include RC4, RC5
and RC6.
RC2 is a 64-bit block cipher
with a variable size key. Its 18 rounds are arranged as a source-heavy Feistel
network, with 16 rounds of one type (MIXING) punctuated by two rounds of
another type (MASHING). A MIXING round consists of four applications of the MIX
transformation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC2