ECRYPT European Network of Excellence in Cryptology Project Overview

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 2 What is ECRYPT ? A Proposal for a European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 35 partners 11 from industry: Cryptolog, Edizone, Ericsson, France Télécom, Gemplus, IBM, MasterCard, Nokia, Philips Semiconductors, Schlumberger, Vodafone. Coming from 16 countries : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA.

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 3 Objectives of ECRYPT Maintain and strengthen the excellence of European research and industry in the areas of cryptology and watermarking. Strengthen and integrate research in cryptology and watermarking in Europe and decrease fragmentation. Improve the state of the art in practice and theory of cryptology and watermarking. Develop a joint infrastructure for the evaluation and benchmarking of cryptographic and watermarking schemes

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 4 Integrating activities and Spreading of excellence Summer schools and workshops Exchanges of researchers Common publications, integration of tools Input to standardization bodies and other dissemination activities. Jointly executed targeted research, within ECRYPT’s virtual labs

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 5 Structure of ECRYPT

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 6 Virtual labs of ECRYPT Joint research organised into 5 Virtual Labs STVLSymmetric Techniques. AZTECAsymmetric Techniques. PROVILABProtocols. VAMPIRESecure and efficient implementations. WAVILAWatermarking and perceptual hashing. Each has a coordinator, activities are organised in working groups (WGs) with appointed leaders.

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 7 Virtual labs: the example of PROVILAB Coordinator: IBM. WG1: Two-Party Protocols and Secure Point-to- Point connections (UNISA) dealing with user identification, group identification, key agreement WG2: Practical Multiparty Protocols with Provable Security (IBM) focussing on practical and efficient protocols with well- understood and provable security WG3: Unconditionally Secure Protocols (BRICS) dealing with systems that remain secure regardless of the resources invested in breaking them

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 8 Interaction between the components of ECRYPT

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 9 Why is ECRYPT needed in Europe? It will help to strengthen the European collaboration initiated by RIPE (88-92), NESSIE (00-03), and AREHCC (01-03). It will provide durable integration of European research in the area, currently scattered over more than 100 organisations. It will help to keep Europe competitive with the USA.

ECRYPT - European Network of Excellence in Cryptology 10 Why will ECRYPT achieve its goals? ECRYPT participants are the best European players in the area, selected through an open call. ECRYPT management structure is well defined and well balanced. The strong presence of industrial partners ensures that ECRYPT will have an impact on European Information Society.