FIPS ‘n’ Chips invites presentation proposals from researchers, practitioners, developers, testers, validators, certifiers, policymakers, and students who are passionate about advancing the state of cryptography and cryptographic assurance.

Our goal is to create a unique forum where academia, industry, government, and testing laboratories can exchange ideas, share experiences, and discuss the future of cryptographic technologies, standards, validation programs, and real-world applications.

We welcome submissions from both seasoned professionals and first-time presenters. The conference values practical experience as much as theoretical innovation and encourages contributions that bridge research and practice.
Why Submit?

Selected presenters will have the opportunity to share their expertise with a diverse audience of cryptographic module developers, security engineers, validation professionals, researchers, government representatives, and certification experts.

As a token of appreciation:

Accepted presenters receive complimentary conference registration.
Accepted presenters receive a complimentary signed copy of the book
“Tasting Cryptography“
Authors of submissions that are not accepted will receive a $100 discount coupon toward conference registration.
Outstanding presentations may be invited for inclusion in a future volume of the Tasting Cryptography: FIPS ‘n’ Chips book series.

Topics of Interest

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Security Lessons Learned

Case studies of security breaches that could have been prevented through proper use of cryptography
Analysis of cryptographic failures and implementation mistakes
Lessons learned from real-world security incidents

Cryptographic Research and Innovation

Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
Lightweight Cryptography
Homomorphic Encryption and Privacy-Preserving Technologies
Emerging cryptographic primitives and protocols
Applied cryptographic research

Standards and Compliance

NIST cryptographic standards and guidelines
FIPS 140-3 and cryptographic module validation
ISO/IEC 19790 and future validation frameworks
Cryptographic algorithm transitions and migrations
Standards development and adoption

Cryptographic Engineering

Software implementations of cryptography
Firmware implementations of cryptography
Hardware implementations of cryptography
Secure key management and cryptographic architectures
Performance, interoperability, and deployment considerations

Getting Cryptography Right

Common implementation pitfalls
Secure development practices
Verification and validation methodologies
Challenges in deploying cryptography at scale

Testing and Assurance

Third-party testing experiences
Benefits and challenges of independent validation
Security testing methodologies
Lessons learned from certification programs

Cryptography and Artificial Intelligence

Cryptography in the era of AI
Protecting AI systems with cryptographic technologies
Secure AI infrastructure and trustworthy AI
Using AI to assist cryptographic design, implementation, testing, and validation
Opportunities and risks at the intersection of AI and cryptography

Submission Guidelines

Submissions should consist of a 1–2 page extended abstract (references excluded from the page count).

To preserve the integrity of the review process, submissions should be prepared for double-blind review and must not contain information that directly identifies the author(s), organization(s), or affiliation(s).

The abstract should clearly describe:

The problem being addressed
The proposed solution, approach, or key insight
Supporting evidence, practical experience, research results, or lessons learned
The anticipated audience takeaways
A proposed outline of the presentation

Submissions emphasizing practical experiences, real-world deployments, validation efforts, and lessons learned are particularly encouraged.

Review Process

All submissions will undergo a double-blind peer review process.

Reviewers will evaluate submissions based on:

Relevance to the conference themes
Technical quality and accuracy
Originality and significance
Practical value to attendees
Quality of supporting evidence or experience
Clarity of presentation and organization

The program committee seeks a balanced program representing both academic research and industry practice.
Program Committee

Dr. Yi Mao (General Chair)
Dr. Lily Chen (Co-Chair)
Shawn Geddis (Co-Chair)
Dr. James Goodman (Co-Chair)
Marc Ireland (Co-Chair)
Dan O’Loughlin (Co-Chair)
Jon Rolf (Co-Chair)
Murugiah Souppaya (Co-Chair)
Ambarish Vyas (Co-Chair)