1973
Cocks invents RSA at GCHQ
Clifford Cocks invented a public-key encryption scheme equivalent to RSARivest–Shamir–Adleman — a widely used public-key encryption algorithm named after its inventors. at GCHQ in 1973 — years before the public RSARivest–Shamir–Adleman — a widely used public-key encryption algorithm named after its inventors. announcement.
What it was for
Cocks' classified work remained secret until 1997 — revealing that British intelligence had discovered public-key cryptography independently. His story illustrates how security research often happened in parallel inside government labs.
People
- Clifford Cocks — researcher
Why it's here
Cocks' work proved public-key encryption was discoverable before the academic breakthrough.
Why it mattered
It showed the ideas behind RSARivest–Shamir–Adleman — a widely used public-key encryption algorithm named after its inventors. were not a single-lab accident but a natural next step.
What it solved
Secure government communications needed key distribution without exposing secrets.
Media
ImageClifford CocksRoyal Society uploader, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons