Data Security

When and why did he start to work on data security?

Without precautions, communication networks are prone to malicious attack. Messages might be read by unauthorized person or altered, and even worse the original messages might be replaced by fraudulent messages.

Davies was aware of the need of data security and integrity while he was proposing for new method of data communication in the mid 60's:

"the security of the information is a problem, however, which leads to a subject of research:Security of data in doing business via a national network. (This refers to security against unauthorized access rather than against loss of data.)" -(ref. [1], Para. 6, Pg. 1)

"For security, the system might provide from a third source to each end of a transmission path a one time pad on demand. This would ensure that nowhere in the network was the data in clear. There would, of course, be a limit to the degree of security that a public service could offer." -(ref. [1], Pg. 3)

"It is also possible for the interface unit to route related messages by different paths, which may be important for cryptography or for security against breakdown." -(ref[2], Pg. 12)