Rei Safavi-Naini. Photo Courtesy Rei Safavi-Naini
"As an ancient technology grounded in science and mathematics, cryptography used to be about hiding information in messages, but nowadays it is fundamental to the digital world and has enabled many more services," says Safavi-Naini, PhD, a professor with the Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Science. "It's the foundation on which internet security is built."
This work, alongside other significant contributions, has earned Safavi-Naini the 2025 CS-Can|Info-Can Lifetime Achievement Award in Computer Science. The award is presented to faculty members in Canadian computer science departments who have made outstanding, sustained contributions throughout their careers. CS-Can|Info-Can works with more than 60 organizations in representing the computer-research community and, according to its mission statement, "ensure excellence in research, innovation, and education across all aspects of computer science." It was launched in 2016.
"It's an honour being recognized among some great colleagues," Safavi-Naini says. "It was also an opportunity to reflect on my career and how it has evolved in both research and teaching."
Cryptography is the practice of constructing defensive protocols which prevent other people from accessing private information, like accounts and messages. Modern cryptography uses mathematics and computer science to design algorithms.
"What makes it exciting is that someone creates a defensive protocol, and everyone else tries to find flaws in it," Safavi-Naini says. "It's different than other disciplines where the goal is just to design something that works. In cryptography, you need to think about how someone is going to try and break it."
Safavi-Naini describes her work as something that is ever-evolving in the digital age.
"In the past 20 years or so, I've worked on cryptography for a wide range of services," she says, citing secure online shopping, private communication and cryptocurrencies as examples of what needs sophisticated protection from bad actors. "I've always tried to work with industry to see what is meaningful to those who deploy the technology."
Theoretical advances and new computing technology means these systems must be continually reevaluated and adapted.
Quantum computers are an emerging threat for digital security. In the wrong hands, a powerful quantum computer can break common encryption methods, which would threaten current cybersecurity systems.
"The standard safety features that are used when you access your email or log on to services on the web is going to be insecure if you have sufficiently powerful quantum computers," she warns, "so what we're doing these days is trying to design quantum-safe cryptographic systems."
Safavi-Naini says now is a great time to get into cryptography, as there are many security challenges that will be exacerbated by emergent technologies.
"In 10 years, cyberattackers will be hugely more powerful," she says. "They will be equipped with powerful AI and possibly quantum computers, so there are lots of opportunities to do great work."
