The papers in this voluriic were presented at the CHYP'I'O 'SS conf- ence on theory and applications of cryptography, Iicld August 21-2, j. 19SS in Sarita Uarbara, ('alifornia. The conference was sponsored hy the Int- national AssociatioIi for C'ryptologic Research (IAC'R) and hosted by the computer science depart incnt at the llniversity of California at Sarita D- ha ra . 'rile 4-1 papers presented hcrc coniprise: 35 papers selected from 61 - tcwded abstracts subniittctl in response to the call for papcrs, 1 invitcd prv sentations, and 6 papers sclccted from a large niiiii1, cr of informal UIIIJ) sewion present at ionc. The papers wcrc chosen by the program committee on the lja\is of tlic perceived originality, quality and relevance to the field of cryptography of the cxtcndcd allst ract5 suhriiitted. 'I'hc su1, missioris wv riot otlierwise rc.fcrcc(l. a id ofteri rcprescnt prcliininary reports on continuing rcscarc.11. It is a pleasure to tharik many colleagues. Ilarold Iredrickscri sing- made CRJ'PTO '88 a successful realit, y. Eric Dacli, Pad Ijnrret. haridedly Tom Bersori, Gilles Brassard, Ocled Goldreich, Andrew Odlyzko. C'liarles Rackoff arid Ron Rivest did excellerit work on the program comrriittcc in piittirig the technical program together, assisted by kind outsick reviekvers.