What it is
Basically, making and breaking codes. Most commonly done by government although it is now starting to be used by the private sector.
In an effort to make my home page a bit more technical and useful, I have placed two papers I have previously written on cryptology online. Both are fairly low level, though one assumes a reasonable mathematical background. Because they were not just written for this page, they have an emphasis that may seem a bit strange at first.
As many are unaware just what cryptology is, I have placed a paper introducing the topic up and available. This introduction is aimed at the person with no knowledge of what cryptology is. If you feel I misrepresent things too horribly, or if I am going at too high a level, just send me email.
This paper is an attempt to introduce the subject of differential cryptanalysis. Again, email me for mistakes. However, this paper is at a somewhat higher level, and references some tables that I have not put online. I will be trying to html'ize this paper, and improve formatting as I get the time.
My PGP keys
See standard PGP key servers for my keys.
Public Opinion, regulation, and you
Cryptography is a politically sensitive issue. No, it's not like abortion that sends people into instant screaming matches, or free speech that has people in the court room faster than you can blink, but it is a sensitive issue. The issue is just fought quietly, behind closed doors without most people seeing it, just like the way it came about and has usually operated.
While you may not realize it, cryptology impacts the everyday life of most people in the US today, as well as most other computerized nations. Banks use cryptographic methods to protect electronic money transfers, or to protect your records. Many people feel that a government can not be inherently trusted to the personal and financial records of every citizen. Some of those people have elected to hide these records by using cryptography. The problem is that persons such as FBI director Freeh have indicated that they do not trust the average citizen with any form of cryptography that the FBI cannot easily break. As such, Freeh has pushed hard for many years for severe regulation of cryptography for private citizens, which included the disasterous CLIPPER proposal.
So next time people talk about cryptography, don't roll your eyes and assume that it's some esoteric thing that doesn't matter to joe average, because even joe average doesn't want his private and personal life spread out over the world for any to see. Cryptography prevents that.
2007-01-25
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