Cryptography and Network Security (456506)

Spring 2012

Description

We cover in this course principles and practice of cryptography and network security: classical systems, symmetric block ciphers (DES, AES, other contemporary symmetric ciphers), linear and differential cryptanalysis, perfect secrecy, public-key cryptography  (RSA, discrete logarithms), algorithms for factoring and discrete logarithms, cryptographic protocols, hash functions, authentication, key management, key exchange, signature schemes, email and web security, viruses, firewalls, and other topics.

Content

I. CONVENTIONAL ENCRYPTION

• Classical Systems
• Conventional Encryption: DES, AES
• Contemporary Symmetric Ciphers: 3DES, RC4, RC5

II. PUBLIC-KEY ENCRYPTION

• Introduction to Number Theory
• Public-Key Cryptography. RSA
• Key Management
• Message Authentication and Hash Functions
• Hash and Mac Algorithms
• Digital Signatures and Authentication Protocols

III. AUTHENTICATION

• MAC
• Hash and message digests
• Digital signatures
• Passwords
• Kerberos

III. NETWORK SECURITY

• Authentication Applications
• Electronic Mail Security
• IP Security
• Web Security

IV. OTHER ISSUES

• Intruders and Viruses
• Firewalls
• Digital cash
• Secret sharing schemes
• Zero-knowledge techniques
• Folklore

Literature

• Text book: Stallings, W., Cryptography and Network Security. Principles and Practice, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, 2002.
• Other Cryptography and Network Security. Principles and Practice, 5th edition, Prentice Hall, 2011.
• Other sources, including: ity. Private communication in a public worls, Prentice Hall, 2002.
• Trappe, W., Washingotn, L.C., Introduction to Cryptography with coding theory, Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2006.
• Tanenbaum, A.S., Computer Networks, 4th edition, Prentice Hall, 2003.
• Stinson, D.,  Cryptography. Theory and Practice, 2nd edition, CRC Press, 2002.
• Menezes, A., van Oorschot, P., Vanstone, S., Handbook of Applied Cryptography, CRC Press, 1997.
• Salomaa, A., Public-Key Cryptography, 2nd edition, Springer-Verlag, 1996.
• Papadimitriou, C., Computational Complexity, Addison-Wesley, 1995.
• Koblitz, N., A Course in Number Theory and Cryptography, 2nd edition, Springer 1994.
• Bach, E., Shallit, J., Algorithmic Number Theory, Vol. I: Efficient Algorithms, 2nd printing, MIT Press, 1997.

Online resources:

• Online resources of Stallings's Cryptography and Network Security. Principles and Practice, 5th edition.
  • Student resources here
  • Lecture handouts available here
• Online resources of Tanenbaum's Computer Networks 4th edition.
• Online resources of Menez, van Oorschot, Vanstone's Handbook of Applied Cryptography (all chapters available online).

Credits: 5 sp.

Components: 28h lectures, optional projects, final exam.

Time schedule: The course starts on January 10, 2012 and ends in the beginning of March.

• The lectures are given every week on Tuesdays 15-17 (auditorium Gamma) and Thursdays 8-10 (room Fortran A3058), ICT House. 
• Exam dates: March 9 and March 30.

Prerequisites: The courses on "Programmering (grundkurs)", "Programmering (fortsättningskurs)", "Praktikum i programmering", "Datastrukturer", "Algoritmer". Familiarity with computers, Internet, email, computer viruses and average-level mathematics. Advanced mathematics (including elements of number theory and finite fields) will be introduced throughout the course whenever needed.

Registration (also for the exam): Through MinPlan.

Lecturer: Prof. Ion Petre, Department of IT, Åbo Akademi University.

Links:

• Lecture notes (tentative list)
  • Lecture 1: Introduction
  • Lecture 2: Classical encryption
  • Lecture 3: Block ciphers. DES
  • Lecture 4: 3DES, modes of operation for symmetric ciphers, RC5, RC4
  • Lecture 5: Finite fields
  • Lecture 6: AES
  • Lecture 7: Public-key cryptography. RSA
  • Lecture 8: Protocols for public-key management
  • Lecture 9: Authentication protocols and digital signatures
  • Lecture 10: Message authentication codes, hashes, HMAC
  • Lecture 11: Email security
  • Lecture 12: Web security, IP security, Firewalls
  • Lecture 13: Wireless security, Passwords, Viruses
  • Lecture 14: Practical tips, Summary of the course

• Assignments: The assignments are optional. Each of them offers a number bonus points that will be awarded to the first N students to email the correct solution (N to be specified for each assignment). 
  • Assignments 1,2: Caesar (2 challenges)
  • Assignment 3: Generalized Caesar
  • Assignment 4: A variant of Vigenere
  • Assignment 5: Monoalphabetic cipher
  • Assignment 6: DES with a weak key
  • Assignment 7: Birthday-attack on a DES-based hash function
• Main assignment: Full-strength DES

• List of bonus points

Last updated: February 21, 2012.