Cryptography Reference
In-Depth Information
A voter-verifiable ballot will continue to require considerable faith in the
correct functioning and goodwill of a host of social institutions.
The third issue is that the methodology does not account for the cre-
ative dimension of cryptographic designs. Though Simmons defined the
research program of contemporary cryptography as the design of mathe-
matical equivalents to paper-based security protocols, a considerable pro-
portion of cryptographic protocols have no clear equivalents in the real
world. The use of cryptographic primitives as building blocks allows for
the design of innovative protocols, with previously unheard of function-
alities such as undeniable or ring signatures (see “Mutations” in chapter
4). Such protocols realize new configurations of accountability, trust, and
power among participants but can hardly be accounted for in terms of
“natural security concerns.”
After the New Directions that proudly claimed cryptography's indepen-
dence from military control, these are then perhaps times for forging New
Alliances. These alliances would take advantage of the interests and cre-
ative resources of other parties interested the new world of electronic
security
—
users, legal professionals, social scientists, and others.
11
They
would relate to the world of paper as a deep and broad source of inspira-
tion, rather than as a historical accident to be overcome. They would even
embrace cryptography's own creative process without requiring its designs
be justified under “real-world” scenarios. Crafting such alliances will
require cryptographers to articulate new arguments, beyond the mere
authority of mathematics, for why their work matters. It will also likely
open new doors to social relevance and renew the creative engagement
with the material world that has always been the hallmark of the field.
