Gustavus Simmons

Gustavus J. Simmons (born 1930) is a retired cryptographer and former manager of the applied mathematics Department and Senior Fellow at Sandia National Laboratories.

He worked primarily with authentication theory, developing cryptographic techniques for solving problems of mutual distrust and in devising protocols whose function could be trusted, even though some of the inputs or participants cannot be.

[1] He began his post-secondary education at Deep Springs College, and received his Ph.D in mathematics from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

[4][5] In a review of Contemporary Cryptology (see publications), Don Coppersmith summarized the problem: Is the host substituting a false signal to mask the fact that it is continuing tests?

He was Rothschild Professor at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge University and Visiting Fellow of Trinity College, 1995–96.