Department of Computer Science, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
CM30173: Cryptography |
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Honours |
| Period: | Semester 2 |
| Assessment:
| EX 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | CM30173 Mandatory Extra Work (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| Before taking this unit you must take CM10196, CM20217 and CM20218 or have an elementary knowledge of number theory, as in chapters 1-2 of Davenport The Higher Arithmetic, or CM10139 Computation 1: numbers & structures and 20144, or MA10001 Numbers (and for transitional arrangements an elementary knowledge of number theory, as in chapters 1-2 of Davenport The Higher Arithmetic, or CM10139 Computation 1: numbers & structures and 20144, or MA10001 Numbers). |
| Description: | Aims: To introduce students to the techniques, tools and pitfalls of cryptography (including authentication etc.). Learning Outcomes: 1. Students will understand the basic mathematics behind private-key and public-key cryptography; 2. Students will be able to describe several well-known techniques for cryptographic security and authentication. Skills: Application of Number (T/F, A), Problem Solving (T/F). Content: Introduction to the problem: security, privacy, authentication, repudiation, revocation. The key distribution problem: public vs private keys. The mathematics of cryptography: Fermat-Euler Theorem, structure of finite fields and elliptic curves. Cryptographic algorithms: Diffie-Hellman, RSA, El-Gamal. Cryptanalysis: discrete logarithms, factoring. The Coppersmith attack. Elliptic Curve analogues. Private-key algorithms: DES, 3DES and AES. Common hashing algorithms: MD5, SHA-1. Characteristics of safe keys. Using cryptography: digital signatures: how to find the public key.Repudiation and revocation, examples in practice: PGP, digital certificates. |