This Fast Software Encryption workshop was the ninth in a series of workshops started in Cambridge in December 1993. The previous workshop took place in YokohamainApril2001.Itconcentratedonallaspectsoffastprimitivesfor symmetric cryptography: secret key ciphers, the design and cryptanalysis of block and stream ciphers, as well as hash functions and message authentication codes (MACs). The ninth Fast Software Encryption workshop was held in February 2002 in Leuven, Belgium and was organized by General Chair Matt Landrock (Cryp- mathic Belgium), in cooperation with the research group COSIC of K.U. Leuven. This year there were 70 submissions, of which 21 were selected for presentation and publication in this volume. We would like to thank the following people. First of all the submitting authors and the program committee for their work. Then Markku-Juhani O. Saarinen, Orr Dunkelman, Fredrik J.. onsson, Helger Lipmaa, Greg Rose, Alex Biryukov, and Christophe De Canniere, who provided reviews at the request ofprogramcommitteemembers.BartPreneelforetting l ususeCOSIC'sW- review software in the review process and Wim Moreau for all his support.
Finally we would like to thank Krista Geens of Cryptomathic for her help in the registrationandthepracticalorganization.