Eike Kiltz

Career

Eike Kiltz is a German cryptographer and professor of computer science at Ruhr University Bochum. He studied mathematics at Ruhr University Bochum, where he completed his PhD in 2004. Following his doctorate, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego, before joining the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica in Amsterdam in 2005. In 2010, he returned to Ruhr University Bochum to accept a full professorship.

In addition to his academic role, Kiltz serves as an editorial board member of the Journal of Cryptology, published by Springer, and as a board member of the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security.

Research

Kiltz's research is centered on public-key cryptography, post-quantum cryptography, and complexity theory. Among his most significant contributions is his involvement in the development of CRYSTALS-Kyber and CRYSTALS-Dilithium — two cryptographic schemes designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers. In 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected both schemes as official post-quantum cryptography standards, marking a landmark moment in the effort to secure digital communications against the anticipated capabilities of quantum computing.

Recognition

From 2010 to 2014, Kiltz received funding through a Sofja Kovalevskaja Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, a prestigious grant supporting outstanding early-career researchers. In 2013, the European Research Council awarded him an ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2013-CoG-615073-ERCC), further supporting his work in cryptographic research.