The Secret History of Public Key Cryptography

Public key crypography is a system for maintaining privacy in communications that has allowed the information age to flower. Until recently, the true story of its invention was kept secret by the British government. Today on Focus, we're joined by journalist Simon Singh and expert Nigel Boston to hear the full story.

Guests: Nigel Boston (Director of the Illinois Center for Cryptography and Information Protection; Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Illinois) and Simon Singh (journalist; author of The Code Book and The Science of Secrecy)