OpenSSL Gets Cryptography Gift From Sun

Kataire writes "C|Net posted this story about how Sun Microsystems' has donated 'elliptic curve' encryption technology, (developed by Whitfield Diffie of Diffie-Hellman public key fame) to the OpenSSL project. This potentially means better encryption for lighter-weight systems such as PDAs."

Comments

Re:Good for more then PDA's

[jbrandon]

That's just not true; Shor's algorithm transfers quite nicely to solving what is essentially the discrete log problem in a group. IOW: Elliptic curve cryto is not any safer. See This

Wrong. OpenSSL != OpenSSH

[plcurechax]

OpenSSL is written by the OpenBSD people

Not quite.

OpenSSL is maintained by OpenSSL core members: Ralf S. Engelschall, Ben Laurie, Mark J. Cox, Dr. Stephen Henson, and others developers.

OpenSSH was written by OpenBSD members (Theo de Raadt, Niels Provos, Markus Friedl, Dug Song, and others). OpenSSH uses OpenSSL as a cryptographic library source (it is highly optimized for many processors).

Re:NeXT, did NOT invent ECC.

[plcurechax]

...given that it was invented by NeXT?

Sorry, Ellipitic curve cryptography was invented independantly by Neal Koblitz, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Washington and Victor Miller who was then at IBM.
(Source)

Whitfield Diffie did NOT invent ECC

[plcurechax]

'elliptic curve' encryption technology, (developed by Whitfield Diffie of Diffie-Hellman public key fame)

Elliptic curve cryptography was indepentantly
invented by Neal Koblitz, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Washington and Victor Miller who was then at IBM.
(Source)

Whitfield Diffie is Sun's chief security officer, and co-invented public-key cryptography.

Merkle invented public-key cryptography (too)

[Ungrounded Lightning]

Whitfield Diffie is Sun's chief security officer, and co-invented public-key cryptography.

Actually, Ralph Merkle invented public-key cryptography (too). Merkle's article was SUBMITTED first, though the Diffie-Hellman article was PUBLISHED first while Merkle's was still going through the review process.

Not to disparage any of 'em. Merkle and Diffie & Hellman both invented it separately.

And for you people who follow Nanotech and/or Cryonics, yes it's THAT Ralph Merkle (who didn't invent either cryonics or nanotech, though he does much great work to advance them).