Unit

Week

Date

Topic

Readings

Introduction

1

Tue

01/10

Course outline (syllabus, grading, policies)

Course overview and history of cryptography

[KL] Chapter 1

Perfect security

Thu

01/12

Probability overview

Perfectly secret cryptography

[KL] Chapter 2

 

Symmetric-key primitives

2

Tue

01/17

Computational security

Definition of secure encryption

Pseudorandom generators

[KL] Chapters 3.1 - 3.2

 

Thu

01/19

Reduction proofs

Construction of computationally secure encryption from PRG

[KL] Chapter 3.3

 

HW1 assigned

 

3

Tue

01/24

Constructions and attacks on stream ciphers

Pseudorandom functions

[KL] Chapters 6.1 and 3.5

Thu

01/26

Pseudorandom permutations and CPA-secure encryption

[KL] Chapters 3.4 and 3.5

 

4

Tue

01/31

Principles for designing block ciphers.

Block ciphers – DES and AES

[KL] Chapter 6.2

HW1 due

Thu

02/02

Modes of operation for block ciphers.

Padding-oracle attacks on CBC encryption.

[KL] Chapters 3.6 and 3.7

Project 1

 

5

Tue

02/07

Class canceled

 

 

Thu

02/09

School closed

 

 

6

Tue

02/14

Message Authentication Codes.

[KL] Chapter 4.1-4.4

Project 1 due 02/13

HW2

Hash functions

Thu

02/16

Authenticated encryption. Cryptographic hash functions.

[KL] Chapters 4.5, 5.1, and 5.2

 

7

Tue

02/21

Hash functions, attacks, Merkle trees.

[KL] Chapters 5.3 and 5.4

Public-key cryptography

Thu

02/23

Number theory basics.  Primality testing

[KL] Chapter 8

HW2 due

 

 

8

Tue

02/28

Key exchange (Diffie-Hellman, Needham-Schroeder).

[KL] Chapter 10

 

Thu

03/02

Midterm exam

 

 

Spring break

 

Tue

03/07

No class

 

 

Thu

03/09

No class

 

Public-key cryptography

9

Tue

03/14

School closed

HW3

 

Thu

03/16

 

Public-key encryption. Trapdoor permutations. RSA encryption.

[KL 11.1,11.2, 11.5]

 

10

Tue

03/21

Attacks against RSA. Discrete log-based encryption. El-Gamal cryptosystem.

 

 

[KL 11.4,12.1-12.4]

Project 2

Applications

Thu

03/23

Digital signatures (definition and RSA Full-Domain Hash construction)

PKI; Certification Authorities;

 

HW3 due

 

11

Tue

03/28

SSL/TLS and HTTPS

User authentication; one-time passwords; challenge-response protocols

 

Thu

03/30

Crypto currencies

 

J. Bonneau et al. SoK: Research Perspectives and Challenges for Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

 

Project 2 due 03/31

HW 4 out on 03/31

 

12

Tue

04/04

Class canceled

 

 

Thu

04/06

Cloud security using trusted hardware

Lecture by Amirali Sanatinia

 

13

Tue

04/11

Crypto currencies

HW4 due 04/10 – submissions accepted until 04/13

Project 3 04/11

 

 

Thu

04/13

Anonymity in Bitcoin, zero-knowledge proofs; commitments

I. Miers et al. Zerocoin: Anonymous Distributed E-Cash from Bitcoin

 

14

Tue

04/18

Secure two-party computation; oblivious transfer; Yao’s garbled circuits; homomorphic encryption

 

 

Thu

04/20

Review and prepare for final exam

 

 

Fri

04/21

Final exam; 3:30-5:30pm; Ell Hall 311

Project 3 due 04/26