Security News > 2021 > November > Crypto for cryptographers! Infosec types revolt against use of ancient abbreviation by Bitcoin and NFT devotees

Infosec must "Reclaim" the word crypto from people who trade in Bitcoins and other digital currencies, according to industry veteran Bruce Schneier - and it seems some Reg readers agree.

"I have long been annoyed that the word 'crypto' has been co-opted by the blockchain people, and no longer refers to 'cryptography'," blogged Schneier in a classically brief post on Monday.

"'Crypto' for decades has been used as shorthand and as a prefix for things related to cryptography," Amie Stepanovich, executive director of Silicon Flatirons Center at the University of Colorado Law School, insisted to the Grauniad. She is credited as the creator of a series of twee T-shirts emblazoned "Crypto: It means 'cryptography'".

Please can we take back the term "Crypto" to mean cryptography and not cryptocurrency?

"The general public has likely heard the term crypto for cryptocurrency vs encryption more often."

Sophos threat researcher Andrew Brandt chipped in with Schneier-esque brevity, telling your correspondent: "Crypto means cryptography." Brandt's message was initially echoed by Neil Brown, tech lawyer at decoded.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/11/23/crypto_graphy_or_currency/