Peter Schweitzer
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Peter Schweitzer of Watertown, MA, a cryptographer who was employed by Revere Security, died on Thursday, October 13, at the age of 80. The cause of death was a stroke.
Schweitzer began his cryptographic career at the Air Force Cambridge Research Center, working under Horst Feistel in the group that developed the foundations of modern symmetric encryption. He was responsible for both the startling demolition of a system on the verge of N.S.A. approval for Identification Friend or Foe and the invention of key scheduling techniques now used in both government and commercial cryptography. Schweitzer and Feistel did the first work on cryptographically-based authentication, which has become an essential pillar of communication-security architecture.
Schweitzer was still working as a cryptographer up to his death. As Chief Cryptanalyst for Revere Security, he worked on cryptosystems for power-starved applications such as radio-frequency identification. Schweitzer served simultaneously as Revere Security’s Chief Cryptographer and as a member of Information Security Systems Inc. (ISSI), an invitation-only consulting group founded by NSA’s legendary Jim Frazer. He specialized in devising attacks on ciphers that are impervious to mainstream methods.
Schweitzer also worked as an independent information security consultant. In that role, his clients ranged from the Federal Reserve Bank through Lotus, RSA and McKinsey & Co. to a large number of start-up companies needing in-depth assessments of their novel cipher designs before proceeding. Prior to his consulting, he was recruited by Whitfield Diffie to join a small group that (under the aegis of Martin Hellman) conducted the first independent examination of the then-new DES cipher.
He also specialized in photography for the performing arts - dance, theater, music - and used his skill, experience, and dedication to produce the highest quality work, by available light, requiring no alterations to existing rehearsals. His clients have included Susan Marshall and company, Dance Company of Boston, Marcus Shulkind Dance Company, Anna Myer & Dancers, Benjamin Zander, The Boston Philharmonic, the Boston Early Music Festival, EMI, Telarc - and many more. His photographs have appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Dance Magazine, US Weekly, and Opera News.
Born in Berlin, Germany, Schweitzer came to the USA from Paris at the age of eight at the beginning of World War II. He entered Harvard University at the age of 16 where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics. He also completed all requirements, except Orchestration, for a bachelor’s degree in music from Harvard. Additionally, he completed doctoral studies at MIT and Zürich University.
He was passionate about music, art, animals of all kinds, mountains, good food and wine, sharp knives, beautiful pens, and fine watches that kept accurate time.
He leaves his wife, Eleanor Perrone, of Watertown, MA, three daughters from his late wife, Susanna Schweitzer; Alexandra Schweitzer and husband Glenn Lucas of Lexington, MA; Jana Schweitzer and husband Ken Magee of Portland, OR, and Taryn Gillis and husband John Gillis of Billerica, MA, and four grandchildren.
A memorial concert celebrating his extraordinary and fascinating life and spirit will be held at a later date. To honor his love of creatures of all kind - which extended from dogs and cats, to fish, ferrets, squirrels and pigeons - donations may be made in his name to the MSPCA or World Wildlife Fund.
