The thirtieth anniversary of public key cryptography was celebrated on Oct. 28 at an event co-sponsored by Voltage Security Inc. and the Computer History Museum of Silicon Valley. No technology has had a “more profound political and economic impact on the world than cryptography,” master of ceremonies John Markhoff proclaimed.

The highlight of the event was a discussion by a panel of industry leaders, cryptographers, and experts, according to Voltage Security. The assemblage reviewed the 30-year history of public key cryptography (PKC), from its origins in the seminal paper written in 1976 by Drs. Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman. Panelists recalled the era when government viewed PKC as “weaponry,” and attempted to control encryption keys through the “Clipper Chip.” As the digital age matured, government policy did an “about face,” according to panelists, now mandating encryption through regulations such as HIPAA, FISMA, GLBA, SEC, PCI, and others.

Markhoff, an author and senior writer at The New York Times, noted that PKC has largely gone unnoticed, because it has “so rapidly become an invisible part of the fabric of both modern communications and modern commerce,” according to Voltage. Discussion panel participant Dr. Dan Boneh agreed, pointing out the ways that the audience uses encryption every day — browsing the web to conduct online banking or shopping, or securing sensitive email messages or mobile communications — often without realizing it.

Concerning the present state of encryption in the market, the panel made the following observations, according to Voltage:

• Technology tools must become much more usable and transparent, allowing organizations and individuals to simplify the way they can work, share information and communicate end to end across a range of devices.
• Electronic crime and other digital threats will continue driving the adoption of security technologies, for example email encryption, as vulnerabilities are exposed.
• Traditional email encryption solutions — Symmetric and PKI — are not integrated, automatic, and transparent, thus forcing people to “do something extra” to ensure security, which has resulted in lack of adoption.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based Voltage Security Inc. describes itself as a specialist in identity-based security and data protection.

 
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