Supports Industry Association’s Mission to Accelerate Widespread Acceptance of Smart Card Technology

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/–Continuing its support of the smart card industry, Cryptography Research, Inc. today announced its sponsorship of the 2004 Fall Annual Conference of the Smart Card Alliance being held here October 18-20. Cryptography Research, best known in the smart card industry for its discovery of Differential Power Analysis (DPA) and its patented countermeasures to prevent these attacks, is the sponsor for the 2004 Outstanding Smart Card Achievement awards dinner and reception being held Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m.

This year’s conference will examine the many facets of smart card applications for identity management, payments, security and wireless that have emerged in recent years as a result of the industry’s evolution and technological innovations. The conference program will feature expert speakers and panels from vendors, users and analysts to discuss the triumphs and challenges ahead in the industry, and to project the future of smart cards as a platform for innovation and business growth.

“We are pleased to help advance the mission of the Smart Card Alliance through our sponsorship of this annual event,” said Kit Rodgers, director of licensing at Cryptography Research. “Cryptography Research is committed to developing tamper resistance technologies that maximize the safety of smart cards, and we are proud to work with a forum dedicated to unlocking the promise of this vibrant industry.”

DPA was discovered at Cryptography Research by Paul Kocher, Joshua Jaffe and Benjamin Jun, who demonstrated that power consumption measurements of smart cards and other devices could be analyzed to find secret keys. Vulnerable devices could be exploited by attackers to counterfeit digital cash, duplicate ID cards, pirate digital content, tamper with elections or mount other attacks. DPA remains a major area of focus for researchers, security experts and product engineering teams in the chip manufacturing and smart card industries.

“Cryptography Research is providing invaluable assistance to the smart card industry by helping address the issues of tamper resistance, and we are pleased they have chosen to sponsor our annual awards event,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. “Our group’s mission is to promote the widespread acceptance of smart cards. Tamper resistance enhances trust in the technology, and trust is an essential ingredient of acceptance.”

Cryptography Research offers technology licensing, services and evaluation hardware to help companies safeguard their products against DPA attacks. The firm has been awarded a portfolio of fundamental patents that provide the basis for implementing effective DPA countermeasures in smart cards and other devices. A license from Cryptography Research is required to make, use or sell DPA-resistant devices.

About Cryptography Research, Inc.

Cryptography Research, Inc. provides consulting services and technology to solve complex security problems. In addition to security evaluation and applied engineering work, CRI is actively involved in long-term research in areas including tamper resistance, content protection, network security and financial services. The company has a broad portfolio of patents covering countermeasures to differential power analysis and other vulnerabilities, and is committed to helping companies produce secure smart cards and other tamper- resistant devices. Security systems designed by Cryptography Research engineers annually protect more than $60 billion of commerce for wireless, telecommunications, financial, digital television and Internet industries. For additional information or to arrange a consultation with a member of the technical staff, please contact Jen Craft at 415-397-0123, ext. 329 or visit http://www.cryptography.com.