Martin Hellman
Helped invent the math that keeps online messages private.
Their Story
Martin Hellman is a cryptographer and engineer who, with Whitfield Diffie, created public-key cryptography. Their method lets people securely agree on a secret key over an open connection. This idea is a foundation of secure communication on the internet.
Era
1900s
Field
Cryptography
Martin Hellman
Helped invent the math that keeps online messages private.
Technology · Cryptography · 1900s
Their Story
Martin Hellman is a cryptographer and engineer who, with Whitfield Diffie, created public-key cryptography. Their method lets people securely agree on a secret key over an open connection. This idea is a foundation of secure communication on the internet.
Key Innovation
Co-invented public-key cryptography, enabling secure key sharing over open networks.
Why It Matters Today
The lock icon on secure websites depends on the encryption ideas he helped create.
Learn More
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Hellman
Wilkinson STEM Education Foundation · 251 American Innovators · wilkinsonstemfoundation.org
