Cryptography, 4003-482/4005-705, 20114

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to cryptography and its relation to security. It covers classical cryptosystems, private-key cryptosystems (including DES and AES), and public-key cryptosystems (including RSA). The course also provides an introduction to integrity and authentication.

Course Outcomes

  1. Students will be able to implement and cryptanalyze classical ciphers.
  2. Students should demonstrate a basic understanding of modern private-key cryptosystems and ways to cryptanalyze them.
  3. Students should demonstrate a basic understanding of modern public-key cryptosystems and ways to cryptanalyze them.
  4. Students should demonstrate a basic understanding of the mathematical concepts underlying modern cryptography.
  5. Students should demonstrate a broad understanding of the field of cryptography and its relation to security.

Course Web Page

http://cs.rochester.edu/~menton/482/index.html

Instructor

Curtis Menton
Email: last name at cs.rochester.edu
Office: 3575

Office hours:

Lectures

Monday/Wednesday, 10:00AM-11:50AM, 70-3445.

Required Book

Trappe and Washington, Introduction to Cryptography with Coding Theory, second edition, Prentice-Hall, 2006.

Other Materials

Slides and information about reading and homework assignments, exams, etc. will be linked from the course web page.

Prerequisites

CS4 (4003-334) and Discrete Math (1016-265).

The Work

Homework Assignments

There will be eight or nine homework assignments, roughly one per week. Each homework assignment will be collected and graded. Assignments are usually posted at least six days before they are due. The actual assignments will be available on the reading and homework assignments page.

Unless it is specifically stated otherwise, you may work on and submit your homework in groups of 1 or 2. If you choose to work as a group of 2, both of you should contribute significantly to the solution for every question. You should submit only one copy of the homework with both your names on it.

Whether you submit on your own or with a partner, discussing the homework assignments and solution strategies with your classmates is encouraged. However, the actual solutions should be completely your own. You are not allowed to discuss the homework with people other than your classmates, the theory tutors, and me. You are also not allowed to look up the answers to your homework and you should be able to explain all of your homework to me.

You have the following submission options:

I will not accept late assignments for any reason.

I will drop the lowest homework grade for 4005-705. I will drop the lowest two homework grades for 4003-482. However, a zero for cheating will not be dropped.

Final Exam

We will have a cumulative final exam which will take place in our assigned location during finals week. It is closed book and notes but you may bring one sheet of letter-sized paper with your own hand-written notes. Exams can not be made up except for real emergencies in which case proper documentation (like a doctor's note) will be required or if you can not take an exam because of religious reasons. If at all possible, you should contact me prior to the exam. Oversleeping, cars that don't start etc. do not constitute a valid excuse.

The final is now scheduled (for some reason only under the graduate course number for the course) at Monday, August 13 from 10:15-12:15 in 70-3445. Almost exactly our normal Monday time and place.

Evaluation

Numerical grades will be converted to letter grades according to the following scale:
≥ 88%: A; 77%-88%: B; 66%-77%: C; 55%-66%: D; < 55%: F.

Disputing Your Grade

If you feel that an error was made in grading your homework or exam, you have one week from the moment the graded work was handed back to dispute your grade.

Academic Dishonesty

The DCS Policy on Academic Dishonesty will be enforced.

You should only submit work that is completely your own. Failure to do so counts as academic dishonesty and so does being the source of such work. Submitting work that is in large part not completely your own work is a flagrant violation of basic ethical behavior and will minimally be punished with failing the course.