Ask HN: Why don't all computers use atmospheric noise for random numbers?

Info on atmospheric noise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_noise

6 points | by jlward4th 1896 days ago

3 comments

  • SamReidHughes 1896 days ago
    Having a radio antenna feeding information into the computer has its own negative security implications.
    • quickthrower2 1895 days ago
      Hold on, what of wifi and Bluetooth?
      • SamReidHughes 1895 days ago
        In a highly secure environment you don't use WiFi or Bluetooth.
        • quickthrower2 1895 days ago
          The OP is talking about random numbers in general I believe, not in highly secure environments only.
          • SamReidHughes 1895 days ago
            Sure. I think Intel's RDRAND, using thermal noise (or whatever) makes more sense, because you don't have to hook up some antenna -- I'm no physicist but my guess is it gets substantively affected by atmospheric noise.
      • muzani 1895 days ago
        We're not generating random numbers with them.
        • quickthrower2 1895 days ago
          "Having a radio antenna feeding information into the computer has its own negative security implications."

          My point is, if that is true, then wifi and bluetooth would have those same negative implications regardless of what you are using them for.

  • quickthrower2 1896 days ago
    Because pseudo random is good for most purposes, and there is enough chaos in the machine to seed cryptographic random numbers. So why add extra manufacturing cost.
  • MH15 1896 days ago
    Probably because interference (intentional or otherwise) at similar wavelengths could seriously skew the "random" numbers. This obviously isn't good.