Computing · Recorded milestone
Public-key cryptography
Recorded year1976
Diffie-Hellman (1976) and RSA (1977) make secure communication between strangers possible.
Explore this milestone on the interactive mapBuilt on
- Turing machineRecorded · 1936enables
- TransistorRecorded · 1947requires
- Stored-program computerRecorded · 1948requires
Led to
- Shor's factoring algorithmRecorded · 1994enables
- HTTPS encryptionRecorded · 1995enables
- Online retailRecorded · 1995requires
- Chip passportRecorded · 1998requires
- Online paymentsRecorded · 1999enables
- Software as a serviceRecorded · 1999requires
- Digital ID and e-governmentRecorded · 2002enables
- Fingerprint-unlocked phoneRecorded · 2003enables
- Git and GitHubRecorded · 2005requires
- Cloud computingRecorded · 2006requires
- App storesRecorded · 2008requires
- BlockchainRecorded · 2009enables
- Smart contractsRecorded · 2015enables
- Digital public infrastructureRecorded · 2016requires
- Encrypted messaging for billionsRecorded · 2016enables
- Practical zero-knowledge proofsRecorded · 2016enables
- C2PA content credentialsRecorded · 2021enables
- PasskeysRecorded · 2022enables
- Stable SLSA v1.0 build-provenance standardRecorded · 2023enables
- Computing on encrypted dataRecorded · 2024enables
- Neural privacy protectionRecorded · 2024enables
- News with verifiable sourcesRecorded · 2024enables
- Post-quantum encryption standardsRecorded · 2024enables
- Location-checked AI chipsForecast · ~2028requires
- Universal content provenanceForecast · ~2035enables
Sources & evidence
Dataset updated 2026-10-18. This individual record has not been separately re-reviewed.