Asymptotic versus Concrete Security - A Tale of Two Cultures, A New Direction for Multi-Party Secure Computation, and the Broader Context of Our Work

Explore the fundamental divide between asymptotic and concrete security approaches in cryptography through this invited conference talk delivered at PKC 2025. Delve into how these two distinct security paradigms shape modern cryptographic research and practice, with particular emphasis on their implications for multi-party secure computation protocols. Examine the broader theoretical and practical context of contemporary cryptographic work, understanding how different security models influence protocol design, efficiency considerations, and real-world implementation challenges. Learn from leading cryptography researcher Mihir Bellare as he presents new directions for multi-party computation that bridge the gap between theoretical foundations and practical security requirements, offering insights into how the field can reconcile these traditionally separate approaches to advance both the science and application of secure computation systems.