Elliptic curve cryptography: The serpentine course of a paradigm shift

2009/03/18 by Ann Hibner Koblitz, Neal Koblitz, Alfred Menezes · 2 citations
Computer Science · #Cryptography and Residue Arithmetic #Chaos-based Image/Signal Encryption #Cryptographic Implementations and Security

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.jnt.2009.01.006

openalex publication_date 2009/03/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02

Abstract

Over a period of sixteen years elliptic curve cryptography went from being an approach that many people mistrusted or misunderstood to being a public key technology that enjoys almost unquestioned acceptance. We describe the sometimes surprising twists and turns in this paradigm shift, and compare this story with the commonly accepted Ideal Model of how research and development function in cryptography. We also discuss to what extent the ideas in the literature on “social construction of technology” can contribute to a better understanding of this history. For a video summary of this paper, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHFFvfDoTK4.

Citations

• Analysis of the Weil Descent Attack of Gaudry, Hess and Smart
• Elliptic curve cryptosystems
• Identity-Based Encryption from the Weil Pairing
• Reducing elliptic curve logarithms to logarithms in a finite field
• New directions in cryptography
• Another Look at "Provable Security"
• Polynomial-Time Algorithms for Prime Factorization and Discrete Logarithms on a Quantum Computer
• In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development.

Cited by

• A Riddle Wrapped in an Enigma
• Alfred Menezes [wikipedia]