Cryptography

CS 655 | English | Bachelor & Master

The Snowden/NSA affair has made a wider audience aware that virtually all electronic communication and data exchange over the Internet can and will be intercepted. Especially with confidential data such as credit card information when shopping in an online shop, it is important that these do not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it is extremely important for modern communication that the following security problems are solved:

  • My data should only be readable by the intended recipient.
  • I want my data to arrive unaltered.
  • I need to be sure that I am communicating with the right person (and not with a fake Amazon website, for example).

Cryptography does all this. The lecture provides an introduction to modern cryptography, i.e. to the theory and practice of (preferably) secure encryption of data. Basic cryptographic algorithms such as block encryption functions, key stream generators, one-way cryptographic functions, one-way functions and cryptographic hash functions are dealt with. As a first step, the treatment includes an analysis of the areas of application and threat scenarios from which, in addition to the ubiquitous demand for efficiency, the security-relevant design criteria for the corresponding cryptographic algorithms can be derived.

In addition to providing the mathematical, algorithmic and information-theoretical fundamentals necessary for understanding the material, various practical methods such as the Data Encryption Standard (DES) and the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the A5 algorithm of the GSM standard and the E0 algorithm of the Bluetooth standard are presented and evaluated.

The lecture slides and exercise sheets will be uploaded in the Ilias-Group "Kryptographie I [VÜ] (FSS 2023)"

  • Lecture

    The lecture takes place at the following times:

    • Tuesdays, 13:45h-15:15h in room A5, 6 – C013
    • Thursdays, 13:45h-15:15h in room A5, 6 – C012

    The lecture slides will be uploaded in the Ilias-Group “Kryptographie I [VÜ] (FSS 2023)

  • Exercise Sessions

    The exercise session takes place approximately every 14 days on Thursdays from 13:45h to 15:15h in room A5, 6 – C012.
    Scheduled dates for the exercise, please be aware of changes:

    • 02.03.2023
    • 16.03.2023
    • 30.03.2023
    • 27.04.2023 
    • 11.05.2023
    • 25.05.2023 (if necessary)

    Exercise sheets do not need to be handed in and are not evaluated. They are published in the Ilias Group Kryptographie I [VÜ] (FSS 2023)”. It is nevertheless advisable to solve them independently. The exercises are coordinated and carried out by Jasmin Zalonis.