Re:Relating.. (Score 5, Informative)

If we assume it was a kilobyte, the difference in processing power required is a factor of 2^2048/2^1024 = 2^1024 ~= 1.8x10^308.

I can't check it right now (the website is /.-ed), but the 2048 suggests we're talking about an asymmetric key in which case you're wrong. For an RSA key, about 10 additional bits double the strength of the encryption (instead of 1 bit for a symmetric key).

I think you made the same mistake than this other poster:

If the RSA crack took x^56 time, this one will need approx. x^2048.

RSA != RC5

RSA is asymmetric, RC5 is symmetric.

Of course, it's still some 5*10^30 harder than a 1024 key...