The national effort, called the Key Recovery Demonstration Project, is testing and evaluating different technologies for unlocking encrypted messages under special conditions. Ploof has set up a pilot project to encrypt a test group's employee performance appraisals and then route them securely through an open internal network. This has resulted in decreased processing time and has increased the group's confidence in using this technology. The national project is an effort to evaluate the technology, show that it works, and demonstrate its many uses in government and the private sector. People are reluctant to engage in electronic commerce unless they know it's private and protected.
Encryption provides privacy and confidence.
In addition, he is also working with colleagues at the DOE and its laboratories to draft policies and procedures to support the use of cryptography in its many different applications.