Cryptography: so much to learn! (If history is anything to go by.)

Cryptography is all the rage, and not without reason. It’s an important part of the security of all our communication. You hope your passwords are handled securely, and you assume anything you send to your bank in your online banking session is protected by encryption.

Getting your head around cryptography can be daunting. There’s a lot to learn. It’s a fast-evolving field within science and software engineering, and encryption protocols sometimes don’t even last a decade before they become obsolete (read: unsafe). But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to learn as much as you can.

In my session, I’d like to show you what I learned about cryptography by looking at an “ancient” encryption/decryption tool: the German Enigma. The Germans assumed the Enigma was uncrackable, but due to problems inherent in the design and fundamental cryptographic problems, the allied forces were able to crack it. Some of the lessons learnt can (and should!) be applied to modern cryptography.

You don’t need any experience or extensive knowledge around the topic of encryption to enjoy my session.

Sander Huijsen is the owner of Sander Huijsen Software Engineering and Consultancy in Perth, WA. He has a long-standing track record in the field of software engineering. He has worked for various companies in various countries and with a plethora of platforms and programming languages.