(502801-3) Cryptography Theory

Homepage and Syllabus

Disclaimer

This is the best information available as of today, Monday September 13, 2021 at 7:00 a.m. KSA time. Changes will appear in this web page as the course progresses.

Meeting time and place

  • Section 6622: Tuesday 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Instructor: Dr. Emad Alsuwat

Course Homepage: https://emadalsuwat.github.io/CryptographyTheory-Fall2021.html
Office: W101 CIT
Office hours: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, there will be no in-person office hours. Please email me if you have any question. If necessary, I will arrange a phone call or a virtual meeting
Phone: NA
Email: Alsuwat@tu.edu.sa

Course Overview

This course covers the central topics in cryptography (the art of designing codes and ciphers), cryptanalysis (the art of breaking codes and ciphers), and cryptology (the mathematical science of cryptography and cryptanalysis). Topics include: Design of codes and ciphers for secure communication, including encryption, authentication, and integrity verification: codes, ciphers, cryptographic hashing, and public key cryptosystems. Cryptological mathematical principles, cryptanalysis, and protocols for security. We will introduce the requisite mathematical concepts when they are needed, including information theory, linear algebra, modular arithmetic, and arithmetic over finite fields.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
  • Understand the fundamentals of Cryptography and its applications
  • Describe the classical encryption schemes and their cryptanalysis
  • Apply the related knowledge of mathematics and probability theory to the design and analysis of modern cryptographic algorithms
  • Describe different cryptographic approaches such as symmetric (private) key encryption and asymmetric (public) key encryption and related infrastructure
  • Describe cryptographic primitives such as key exchange, primality testing, zero-knowledge proofs, and so on.

Textbooks

  • Required: William Stallings, Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice (5th Edition), Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2010

Examinations

  • Midterm Exam: TBD
  • Final Exam: TBD

Grading

  • Participation and Quizzes: 10%
  • Homework Assignments and Labs: 25%
  • Midterm Exam: 25%
  • Final Exam: 40%

Topics to be covered

Below are roughly the sections of the William Stallings book that I will cover. I may de-emphasize some topics and add others, but this is basically the list.

Topic Text Reference
Overview
  • Computer Security Concepts
  • Security Attacks
  • Security Services
  • Security Mechanisms
Chapter 1
PART ONE SYMMETRIC CIPHERS
Classical Encryption Techniques
  • Symmetric Cipher Model
  • Substitution Techniques
  • Transposition Techniques
  • Rotor Machines
  • Steganography
Chapter 2
Block Ciphers and the Data Encryption Standard
  • Block Cipher Principles
  • The Data Encryption Standard (DES)
  • A DES Example
  • The Strength of DES
  • Block Cipher Design Principles
Chapter 3
Basic Concepts in Number Theory and Finite Fields
  • Divisibility and the Division Algorithm
  • The Euclidean Algorithm
  • Modular Arithmetic
  • Groups, Rings, and Fields
  • Finite Fields of the Form GF(p)
  • Polynomial Arithmetic
  • Finite Fields of the Form GF(2^n)
  • The Meaning of mod
Chapter 4
Appendix 4A
Advanced Encryption Standard
  • The Origins AES
  • AES Structure
  • AES Round Functions
  • AES Key Expansion
  • An AES Example
  • AES Implementation
  • Polynomials with Coefficients in GF(28)
Chapter 5
Appendix 5A
Block Cipher Operation
  • Multiple Encryption and Triple DES
  • Electronic Codebook Mode
  • Cipher Block Chaining Mode
  • Cipher Feedback Mode
  • Output Feedback Mode
  • Counter Mode
  • XTS Mode for Block-Oriented Storage Devices
Chapter 6
Pseudorandom Number Generation and Stream Ciphers
  • Principles of Pseudorandom Number Generation
  • Pseudorandom Number Generators
  • Pseudorandom Number Generation Using a Block Cipher
  • Stream Ciphers
  • RC4
  • True Random Numbers
Chapter 7
PART TWO ASYMMETRIC CIPHERS
More Number Theory
  • Prime Numbers
  • Fermat’s and Euler’s Theorems
  • Testing for Primality
  • The Chinese Remainder Theorem
  • Discrete Logarithms
Chapter 8
Public-Key Cryptography and RSA
  • Principles of Public-Key Cryptosystems
  • The RSA Algorithm
Chapter 9
Other Public-Key Cryptosystems
  • Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange
  • ElGamal Cryptosystem
  • Elliptic Curve Arithmetic
  • Elliptic Curve Cryptography
  • Pseudorandom Number Generation Based on an Asymmetric Cipher
Chapter 10
PART THREE CRYPTOGRAPHIC DATA INTEGRITY ALGORITHMS
Cryptographic Hash Functions
  • Applications of Cryptographic Hash Functions
  • Two Simple Hash Functions
  • Requirements and Security
  • Hash Functions Based on Cipher Block Chaining
  • Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA)
  • SHA-3
Chapter 11
Message Authentication Codes
  • Message Authentication Requirements
  • Message Authentication Functions
  • Message Authentication Codes
  • Security of MACs
  • MACs Based on Hash Functions: HMAC
  • MACs Based on Block Ciphers: DAA and CMAC
  • Authenticated Encryption: CCM and GCM
  • Pseudorandom Number Generation Using Hash Functions and MACs
Chapter 12
Digital Signatures
  • Digital Signatures
  • ElGamal Digital Signature Scheme
  • Schnorr Digital Signature Scheme
  • Digital Signature Standard (DSS)
Chapter 13

Lecture Notes and Homework Assignments

Note that changes to the table below will appear week by week as the course progresses

Week Topic Slides Assignment Due Date
Week 1 Syllabus Week - - -
Week 2 Introduction Chapter 1 - -
Week 3 Classical Encryption Techniques Chapter 2 - -
Week 4 Block Ciphers and the
Data Encryption Standard 		Chapter 3 Homework 1 Oct 11, 2021
Week 5 Basic Concepts in Number Theory
and Finite Fields 		Chapter 4 Homework 2 Oct 18, 2021
Week 6 Advanced Encryption Standard
+
Quiz 1		 Chapter 5 - -
Week 7 Block Cipher Operation Chapter 6 - -
Week 8
  • Stream Ciphers and
    Random Number Generation
  • Introduction to Number Theory
Chapter 7
Chapter 8 		Lab #1 Nov 9, 2021
Week 9 Midterm Exam
The exam will cover chapters
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. 		- - -
Week 10 Public Key Cryptography and RSA
+
Quiz 2		 Chapter 9 Lab #2 Nov 16, 2021
Week 11 Other Public Key Cryptosystems Chapter 10 Homework 3 Dec 18, 2021
Week 12 Cryptographic Hash Functions Chapter 11 - -
Week 13 Message Authentication Codes
+
Quiz 3 		Chapter 12 - -
Week 14 Digital Signatures Chapter 13 - -