The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest technical professional society will grant its prestigious IEEE 100th Milestone Award to three former Government Communications Headquarters' (GCHQ) employees, James Ellis, Clifford Cocks and Malcolm Williamson for the development of Public Key Cryptography. Ceremonies marking this historic achievement will take place at GCHQ and the Pittville Pump Rooms, Cheltenham on 4 and 5 October respectively, when duplicate plaques will be unveiled.
Public Key Cryptography is an ingenious mathematical concept which enables online transactions to take place securely and privately. Internet shoppers will be familiar with the padlock symbol on their screens. Ellis, Cocks and Williamson secretly developed the idea, primarily for military use, whilst working for GCHQ in the early 1970s. Although hot news in the corridors of GCHQ, it was decided that continued secrecy would be in the greater national interest. Consequently their work went unrecognised until 1997 when it was declassified and made public. Up until that point a group of American researchers from Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had been credited with the discovery. Sadly James Ellis died shortly before he could enjoy public recognition, joining the long list of British cipher experts whose contributions would never be recognised during their lifetimes.
Photo: Cliff Cocks, Mrs James Ellis and Dr Richard Gowen
The unveiling and dedication events at GCHQ and Pittville Pump Rooms will be attended by invited guests, including Clifford Cocks, James Ellis’s widow and members of the IEEE.
The plaques will read:
"At GCHQ, by 1975 James Ellis had proved that a symmetric secret-key system is unnecessary and Clifford Cocks with Malcolm Williamson showed how such 'public-key cryptography' could be achieved. Until then it was believed that secure communication was impossible without exchange of a secret key, with key distribution as a major impediment. With these discoveries the essential principles were known but were kept secret until 1997".
With regard to this long overdue public recognition for the development of Public Key Cryptography, Clifford Cocks said: "It is great to see how widespread and significant the use of public key cryptography has become and I am honoured that the IEEE have decided to recognise its discovery at Cheltenham. James Ellis would have been especially gratified to know that his work is to receive such acknowledgement."
Photo: Dr Richard Gowen, Cliff Cocks, Mrs James Ellis, Professor Peter Hill (co-ordinator), Anne Regan (Cheltenham's Mayor) and Martin Horwood MP
22 September 2010