From: Hal <hfinney@shell.portal.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 10:50:49 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Crypto 96
Message-ID: <199607172345.QAA08995@jobe.shell.portal.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Crypto 96 is coming up in about a month.  This looks like a more
interesting program than last year, IMO.  According to the preliminary
program, here are some presentations which could be of interest to
cypherpunks:

Anonymous Communication and Anonymous Cash
   Daniel Simon, Microsoft, USA
   
	Microsoft has had an increasing presence at the crypto
	conferences so it will be interesting to hear what their take
	is on anonymity.  Any Microsofties on the list want to comment?

Export Controls: Past, Present, and Future
   Andy Clark, Independent consultant

	This is an invited lecture just before lunch.  I don't know
	who Andy Clark is, can anyone identify him?

The Dark Side of 'Black-Box' Cryptography, or: Why Should We Trust Capstone?
   Adam Young, Columbia Univ., USA
   Moti Yung, IBM, USA

	It's not clear what the technical content will be of this,
	maybe ways to embed trap doors when black boxes are used.
	Generally the crypto conference attendees have varied views on
	our issues and there are often presentations about great new
	forms of key escrow, etc.  So it is always nice to see some
	which sound like they favor privacy.

Timing Attacks on Implementations of Diffie-Hellman, RSA, DSS, and
Other Systems
   Paul Kocher, Stanford, USA

	This is the famous Kocher timing attack which got so much
	attention a few months ago.

[title to be announced]
   Cliff Stoll

	Another invited lecture.  Stoll is famous for being skeptical
	about the value of the net.  I think his politics are old-
	fashioned liberal.  So it will be interesting to hear what his
	take is on the encryption debates.

Relation of Theory to Practice in Cryptography [exact title to be announced]
   Ron Rivest, MIT, USA

	Yet another invited lecture.  I didn't remember there being so
	many before.  Actually I thought Rivest gave one last year.
	This working title doesn't sound too informative.

Family Crypto
   led by Michael Fellows

	This takes up the Tuesday afternoon session, and is supposed
	to be suitable for kids, lay people, etc., to teach them
	something about crypto.  I am lucky enough to live very near
	the site of the conference so I will bring my kids to check
	this out.  It is something new.

Key-Schedule Cryptanalysis of IDEA, G-DES, GOST, SAFER, and Triple-DES
   John Kelsey, Counterpane Systems, USA
   Bruce Schneier, Counterpane Systems, USA
   David Wagner, Univ. California at Berkeley, USA

	There are actually several cryptanalysis type papers for which
	I can't tell from the title whether they will be big new
	results or not.  Anybody know what "key schedule" cryptanalysis
	is?

Cryptographic applications in electronic commerce
   Ernest Brickell

	An invited lecture.  Interesting to see so many practically
	oriented talks.

Cryptology, Technology, and Politics
   Whitfield Diffie

	Invited lecture.  Diffie is of course strongly dedicated to
	our views.  At the same time he presents himself very well and
	is always thoughtful.

Quantum Cryptography over Underground Optical Fibers
   R. J. Hughes, Los Alamos National Labs, USA
   G. G. Luther, Los Alamos National Labs, USA
   G. L. Morgan, Los Alamos National Labs, USA
   C. G. Peterson, Los Alamos National Labs, USA
   C. Simmons, Los Alamos National Labs, USA

	I don't particularly think quantum crypto is that relevant to
	us but it will be interesting to hear about progress.  There
	is actually a session on QC with this paper and another.

New Results on Visual Cryptography
   Stefan Droste, Univ. Dortmund, Germany

	Visual cryptography is another novel idea involving non
	electronic encryption done by putting transparencies together
	in various ways.  Maybe it could have some stego applications.


Overall this conference looks very exciting, with possibly a more
political and practical orientation than some.  I am looking forward
to seeing other cypherpunks there.

Hal