Zero Knowledge Proofs

Tuesday July 29th, 6:00-7:00 PM, Pacific Time, online 

Can You Prove Something Without Revealing It?

Agent Smith needs to meet Agent Brown to exchange top secret information. They connect anonymously online and arrange a meeting.

• “Hi,” says Agent Smith. “My name is Smith. You must be Agent Brown. Please say the password so I know it’s really you.” 

• But Agent Brown hesitates. “How do I know he’s really Smith?” he thinks. “If I give him the password, he might go find the real Smith, pretend to be me, and steal all our secrets!”

• So Brown replies, “No, you say your password first.”

• Now Smith is suspicious. “What if this person is the fake? If I tell him my password, he could do the same to me!”

It seems like a dead end—neither agent can trust the other. But here’s the twist: there are clever methods that let them prove who they are to each other without revealing any actual secrets. This idea is called a zero-knowledge proof.

And it’s not just for spies. Zero-knowledge proofs are used all the time in real life—to protect your data, secure your payments, and keep your identity safe when you use your phone or shop online.

In this talk, we’ll explore how something that sounds like a spy trick has become one of the most powerful tools in modern cybersecurity.

Age range: we invite students grades 7-11 as of Fall 2025

These sessions are offered on a “pay what you can” basis. Join the lecture for free—or support Prime Factor with a donation of your choice. 

Follow this link to donate.