Apr 22
Avalon Theatre Washington, DC
TicketsElonka Dunin
Author; Cryptographer; Game Developer; Management Consultant
moderated byJason Dick
Editor-in-Chief of CQ Roll Call; Host, Political Theater Podcast
The Imitation Game— It's a Cryptographic Life
Program Description
Elonka Dunin, a cryptographer, author, government consultant and the first person to crack the infamous PhreakNIC Code, and series host Jason Dick, discuss the World War 2 thriller THE IMITATION GAME, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, about the allies’ effort to solve the Nazi’s Enigma code. That breakthrough helped the Allies defeat the Axis and define the post-War world. But cryptography also defines modern life in the communications-centered age, protecting personal, governmental and corporate data.
Film Synopsis
During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.
Told via flashback, The Imitation Game tracks the young, brilliant, and socially awkward mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the early days of World War II as he applies for a top-secret position tasked with decoding the “unbreakable” Nazi cipher machine called Enigma, used to encrypt all military radio transmissions. Turing's team, including Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), analyzes Enigma messages while he builds a machine to decipher them. His work was famously labeled by Winston Churchill as “the greatest single contribution to victory.” But after the war he suffered great personal and professional turmoil, as he dealt with his homosexuality in a time when it was illegal. The film was nominated in eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. It won for Best Adapted Screenplay.
About the Speaker
Elonka Dunin is an author, cryptographer, game developer, and management consultant. Born in Los Angeles, Elonka studied Astronomy at UCLA, and then joined the United States Air Force where she worked on the SR-71 and U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. Elonka’s lifelong interest in cryptography became public in 2000 when she was awarded a prize for being the first person to crack the PhreakNIC Code, an up-until-Elonka unsolved puzzle created by the hacker group se2600. After the attacks of September 11th, Elonka helped out with the war on terrorism by teaching government agents about cryptography and what types of codes that Al Qaeda might have been using. From 2012–2022 she was on the Board for the National Cryptologic (Museum) Foundation and is a regular presenter and member of the International Conference on Cryptologic History. She is a lifetime member of the International Game Developers Association and Chairperson Emerita and a founding member of the IGDA’s Online Games SIG. In 2016 Elonka moved to Maryland, where as of 2023, she is a management consultant with Accenture Business Agility.
Jason Dick is the editor in chief of CQ Roll Call and the host of its Political Theater podcast.He has also worked at National Journal and for the AmeriCorps program, and is a former English teacher at the university and high school levels. A one-time screener for the SXSW Film Festival, he is a native of Arizona and lives on Capitol Hill.