Invited Talk
16:30-17:30 26 November (Wed), 2008
Abstract.
Elliptic curve cryptography was invented by Neal Koblitz
and Victor Miller in 1985. However, for many years its security was
viewed with suspicion by cryptographers. These fears were not entirely
meritless, especially in light of the subsequent (and ongoing) development
of innovative algorithms for solving special instances of the elliptic
curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP) and the discrete logarithm
problem in the divisor class groups of other families of algebraic curves.
Surprisingly, cryptographers seem to have cast aside their fears after the
invention of pairing-based cryptography in 2000. I will overview progress
made on algorithms for solving the ECDLP and related problems, and
will examine the long and curious struggle for ECC acceptance.
Alfred Menezes
Department of Combinatorics & Optimization,
University of Waterloo