It refers to a number of technologies including DES, SSL and GSM. I suspect also <128bit AES.
The NSA stores everything anyway, because if it can't be decrypted today, it can probably be decrypted tomorrow.
On the positive side, even if the NSA could break AES 256 (or even DES) it is still a relevant and useful algorithm. It's relevant because if I, say, issue an order to storm Wimbledon Common, that order is tactically valid and useful and hence secret for maybe a day or two, after which Wimbledon Common has been taken, and the order no longer has value.
Assuming the symmetric keys are solid, even weaker algorithms will do. On that basis, if AES 256 is only relevant for another 10 years then that's ok to encrypt my documents with, because when something better comes along those documents are probably no longer relevant.
Of course they may still be relevant as evidence if someone wants to come after you.
In closing, a lot of the Wired article is drawn from the book The Shadow Factory, which ends with the start of the construction of the Utah facility. It's interesting reading that also goes into the political side of it.
The NSA stores everything anyway, because if it can't be decrypted today, it can probably be decrypted tomorrow.
On the positive side, even if the NSA could break AES 256 (or even DES) it is still a relevant and useful algorithm. It's relevant because if I, say, issue an order to storm Wimbledon Common, that order is tactically valid and useful and hence secret for maybe a day or two, after which Wimbledon Common has been taken, and the order no longer has value.
Assuming the symmetric keys are solid, even weaker algorithms will do. On that basis, if AES 256 is only relevant for another 10 years then that's ok to encrypt my documents with, because when something better comes along those documents are probably no longer relevant.
Of course they may still be relevant as evidence if someone wants to come after you.
In closing, a lot of the Wired article is drawn from the book The Shadow Factory, which ends with the start of the construction of the Utah facility. It's interesting reading that also goes into the political side of it.