RC4 is a fast software stream cipher with variable key-length designed by Ron Rivest. It is widely used e.g. in the Netscape browsers (SSL), Lotus Notes and included in many cryptographic libraries. RC4 has been published anonymously (thanks to an anonymous writer on the Cypherpunk mailing list). Because RC4 is a trademark we should call it ARCfour.

ARCfour Security

Weis, CCC Datenschleuder Summer2000

Links

• Cypherpunks Mailings
• ARCfour in 3 lines of PERL
• Paul Crowley, Small bias in RC4 experimentally verified