CS 355: Introduction to Cryptography

List of Topics:

• Basic concepts (1 week)

  • Basic terminology
  • Coding vs. encryption

• Historical ciphers (3 weeks)

  • Monoalphabetic substitution ciphers
    • Caesar cipher
    • Frequency analysis

• Polyalphabetic substitution ciphers

  • Vigen're cipher
  • Beaufort cipher
  • Kasiski method
  • Index of coincidence
  • Rotor and Hagelin machines
  • Vernam cipher
  • One-time pads

• Modern ciphers (4 weeks)

  • DES
  • AES
  • Number theory including a summary of
    • Extended Euclidean algorithm
    • Euler's theorem
    • Fast exponentiation
    • Prime identification

• Pohlig-Hellman

• RSA cipher

• RSA signatures

• Protocols (2 weeks)

  • Diffie-Hellman key exchange
  • Oblivious transfer
  • Zero-knowledge proofs

• Modes of operation (2 weeks)

  • Block vs. stream ciphers
  • Linear feedback shift registers
  • Electronic code book
  • Counter mode
  • Cipher FeedBack
  • Cipher block chaining

• One-Way functions (1 week)

  • Password protection
  • Hash functions
    • MD5
    • SHA-1

• Network-based systems (3 weeks)

  • X-509 certificates
  • PGP
  • SSL
  • Kerberos
  • IPSEC

2005.08