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SUMMARY:Human factors and missed solutions to WWII Enigma design weaknesse
 s - Prof. Harold Thimbleby CEng FIET FRCPE FLSW HonFRSA HonFRCP
DTSTART:20150205T140000Z
DTEND:20150205T150000Z
UID:TALK57316@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Laurent Simon
DESCRIPTION:*Abstract:*\nThe German World War II Enigma suffered from desi
 gn weaknesses that\nfacilitated its large-scale decryption by the British 
 throughout the\nwar. The main technical weaknesses (self-coding and recipr
 ocal coding)\ncould have been avoided using simple contemporary technology
 \, and\ntherefore the true cause of the weaknesses is not technological bu
 t\nmust be sought elsewhere: we argue that human factors issues resulted\n
 in the persistent failure to seek out more effective designs. Similar\nlim
 itations beset the historical literature\, which misunderstands the\nEnigm
 a weaknesses and therefore inhibits broader thinking about design\nand the
  critical role of human factors engineering in cryptography.\n\n*Bio:*\nHa
 rold Thimbleby is professor of computer science at Swansea University\, Wa
 les\, and is Emeritus Professor of Geometry\, Gresham College\, London. He
  built an electromechanical Enigma in 2002 to illustrate a Gresham College
  lecture on cryptography\, and he has been fascinated by the topic ever si
 nce. Harold's research interest is human error\, particularly in complex h
 ealthcare systems\, but he became interested in the Enigma because its des
 ign failures make a provocative analogue to healthcare IT design failures.
  See http://harold.thimbleby.net
LOCATION:LT2\, Computer Laboratory\, William Gates Building
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