2010 Theme:
The Rosetta Stone
Each year since 1995, a unique theme has been chosen to highlight a significant historical contribution to or illustration of cryptography, mathematics or information security. From World War II Navaho Codetalkers to the Chinese Remainder Theorem, we have featured known and lesser known contributions to our fields of work.
For 2010, we celebrate the influence of the Rosetta Stone.
Mysterious hieroglyphs line ancient Egyptian tomb walls, leading the Pharaohs to the afterlife. For thousands of years, their meaning remained shrouded in secrecy, the ability to decode the complex writing lost to time. In 1799, the chance discovery of a large, badly damaged stele – known as the Rosetta Stone – along the Nile delta changed everything.
For more than two decades, the greatest minds in the scientific and intellectual communities compared the 14 lines Hieroglyphic, 32 lines Demotic, and 54 lines ancient Greek on the stone, sharing insights and building on each other’s work. The big breakthrough came in 1822 with the realization that each hieroglyph could represent a sound or concept, depending on context. The Rosetta Stone’s message was no longer veiled by obscurity—the ancients’ marks could be deciphered and the doors opened to modern Egyptology.
RSA Conference 2010 builds on the spirit of collaboration inspired by those who cracked the code of the Rosetta Stone. Let us challenge ourselves to decode the mysteries of information security, uncovering new ways to stem data theft, breaches and other cybercrimes. By coming together to share our knowledge, diverse perspectives, insights, and research, we will be empowered to find the answers, emerging stronger and safer than before. Join the great minds of our time to transform mystery into meaning at the 19th annual RSA Conference.
Join us in San Francisco as we remember the Rosetta Stone’s legacy to modern Egyptology and its lasting message on the power of collaboration.