On Post-Modern Cryptography

Oded Goldreich

Paper 2006/461

On Post-Modern Cryptography

Oded Goldreich

Abstract

This essay relates to a recent article of Koblitz & Menezes (Cryptology ePrint Report 2004/152) that ``criticizes several typical `provable security' results'' and argues that the ``theorem-proof paradigm of theoretical mathematics is often of limited relevance'' to cryptography. Although it feels ridiculous to answer such a claim, we undertake to do so in this essay. In particular, we point out some of the fundamental philosophical flaws that underly the said article and some of its misconceptions regarding theoretical research in Cryptography in the last quarter of a century.

Note: This is an opinion paper, not a technical contribution.

Metadata

Available format(s): PS
Category: Foundations
Publication info: Published elsewhere. Unknown where it was published
Keywords: opinion
Contact author(s): oded goldreich @ weizmann ac il
History: 2006-12-08: received
Short URL: https://ia.cr/2006/461
License: CC BY

BibTeX

@misc{cryptoeprint:2006/461,
      author = {Oded Goldreich},
      title = {On Post-Modern Cryptography},
      howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2006/461},
      year = {2006},
      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2006/461}
}