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The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics recently brought the prestigious International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR) to South �̲�ֱ��. Hosted from May 25 to 28 in West Palm Beach, the international event was organized by the department's faculty experts, whose competitive bid secured South �̲�ֱ�� as this year’s host destination. Sponsored in part by the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the premier gathering attracted approximately 90 leading cryptography scholars and industry professionals from around the globe.

“Being chosen to host this event in our local community is a tremendous honor and a testament to our leadership in cryptography,” stated Francesco Sica, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “While our Center for Cryptology and Information Security has made significant research contributions and has a strong impact within the cryptographic community, it remains relatively unknown to visitors, prospective students and the broader public. As FAU emerges as an R1 university, it is essential that we lead not only in research, but also in visibility—making our bid to host this prestigious conference in South �̲�ֱ�� both timely and important.”

Highlights from the event included keynote speaker Jeffrey Hoffstein, Ph.D., a professor at Brown University and one of the co-inventors of the Nth-degree Truncated Polynomial Ring (NTRU). NTRU is the prototype of all lattice-based cryptosystems and currently is the most promising quantum-resistant National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. With the advent of powerful quantum computers, NTRU is set to replace traditional encryption and signature algorithms. Hoffstein delivered a one-hour presentation on the birth of NTRU and the efforts needed to get it accepted by the community.

“The conference was an excellent opportunity to reconnect with regional and international researchers, as well as meet new collaborators,” said Sica. “I especially enjoyed meeting colleagues from the University of South �̲�ֱ�� whose research closely aligns with ours.”

about Cryptography academic programs and research in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.