Rivest et al [9] is based on modular exponentiation and the security of the system is based on the hard ness of integer factorization problem. In RSA the cipher text C is obtained for the plaintext message M [member of] [z.sup.*.sub.N] as C = [M.sup.e] mod N, where N is the product of two large prime numbers of same length, e is the public key chosen such that it is relatively prime with the Euler totient function [phi](N) and 1 < e < [phi](N).
* Because of the trapdoor integer factorization problem, it is computationally infeasible for an intruder to find the Euler totient function [phi](N).