RSA Labs -- Q13: How Large Should Primes Be?

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### Question 13. How Large Should the Primes be?

The two primes, p and q, which compose the modulus, should be of roughly equal length; this will make the modulus harder to factor than if one of the primes was very small. Thus if one chooses to use a 768-bit modulus, the primes should each have length approximately 384 bits. If the two primes are extremely close (identical except for, say, 100 - 200 bits), there is a potential security risk, but the probability that two randomly chosen primes are so close is negligible.