We survey some recent progress in the design of efficient protocols for secure computation and communication, in a variety of cryptographic settings. The common thread is the usefulness of interesting algorithmic methods originally developed for non-cryptographic applications. We also present some intriguing open problems for which new algorithmic ideas may be needed.

Matt Franklin is a Professor in the Computer Science Department at U. C. Davis, where he has taught since Fall 2000. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Columbia University in 1994, under the supervision of Zvi Galil and Moti Yung. From 1994 to 2000, he was a research scientist at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ; AT&T Labs in Florham Park, NJ; and Xerox PARC in Palo Alto, CA. He has published widely on many aspects of cryptography and security. He is the new Editor in Chief of the Journal of Cryptology.