Cryptography Adapted to the New European Area of Higher Education

2008

Cryptography has become an important topic in undergraduate curricula in mathematics and computer science, not just for its intrinsic interest-"about the most fun you can have with mathematics"[7], but for its current standing as the basis for almost all computer security. From wireless networking to secure email to password protection, cryptographic methods are used to secure information, to protect users, and to protect data. At Victoria University, cryptography has been taught as part of a mathematics and computer science degree for several years. The students all have had at least a year of tertiary mathematics, and some exposure to a computer algebra system (Maple). However, the cost of Maple, and the current licensing agreement, means that students are unable to experiment with the software away from the computer laboratories at the University. For this reason we have decided to investigate the use of open-source computer algebra systems Maxima and Axiom. Although not as full-featured and powerful as the commercial systems Maple and Mathematica, we show they are in fact admirably suited for a subject such as cryptography. In some ways Maxima and Axiom even surpass Maple and Mathematica. Student response to the introduction of these systems has been very positive.

Cryptologia, 2004

The author taught two courses on cryptography, one at Duke University aimed at non-mathematics majors and one at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology aimed at mathematics and computer science majors. Both tried to incorporate technical and societal aspects of cryptography, with varying emphases. This paper will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both courses and compare the differences in the author's approach.

IFIP — International Federation for Information Processing, 2000

Knowledge of mathematical foundations of Cryptography is of paramount importance for students wanting to succeed in graduate degree programs in Computer Science with concentration in security. Cryptography, a relatively new field, has yet to establish a core set of topics and the optimal sequence of their presentation to prepare students for a career in the field of IT security. This paper presents syllabi of two courses on public and private key crj^tography offered to continuing education students at Boston University.

2011

The theory and applications of cryptography are complicated and hard to follow for undergraduate students with less mathematical background. For this reason, instead of plain theoretical teaching, we applied different, interactive approach. Open-source CrypTool software allowed us to practically demonstrate all current private and public-key algorithms and protocols. This paper describes our teaching model and experience. Positive feedback received from students confirms the advantages of adopted approach with respect to traditional teaching.

European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education

Cryptography subject is part of the curriculum of the Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering in Information Systems, at the University of Salamanca. This subject becomes easy to understand if the history of Cryptography is used. The basic mathematics includes the following main topics: Modular arithmetic, algebraic curves, finite fields and number theory. Cryptography is a means of protecting personal information to avoid an eavesdropper can access it. From the first century AD with the Julius Caesar cipher to the present day with RSA, ElGamal, knapsack or elliptic curve cryptosystems, the Cryptography has evolved. In this paper we will show the syllabus of Cryptography subject and how the history knowledge supposes an important part of it, and helps students to acquire the skills and competences included in the subject curriculum.

Nowadays, due to the rapid development of technology, new methods of securing the confidential information transmitted over insecure channels must be designed. For this purpose, new cryptographic algorithms were developed to ensure both data confidentiality and authenticity, which are called algorithms for authenticated encryption. In 2013, the Competition for Authenticated Encryption: Security, Applicability, and Robustness (CAESAR) competition started, which has the purpose to create a portfolio that includes the best authenticated encryption algorithms for widespread adoption. In this context, it becomes extremely important for developers to fully understand these new algorithms in order to efficiently and correctly implement them in modern applications. In this paper, we present a new eLearning tool, called eAECrypt, for students, teachers, developers and other users that are interested in understanding advanced concepts regarding new designed cryptographic algorithms. Our instrument allows users to read detailed information about these algorithms, learn how to implement them step by step and how to evaluate their level of security. It is a complex tool, which includes a variety of authenticated encryption algorithms (more specifically, most of the candidates for CAESAR competition). It also provides flexibility so that users can customize their own cryptographic algorithms based on the already existing ones. Moreover, it allows users to analyze the cryptographic properties of these algorithms, to determine their efficiency (speed) and to combine them together in order to obtain a more secure algorithm. It is an easy-to-use tool, which offers the possibility to learn and fully understand complex algorithms that are commonly used in modern applications.

ACM Sigcse Bulletin, 2004

The panel discusses solutions to the problem of computer security education.

This work proposes and describes the implementation of a novel module for the standard Cryptool educational software that provides the ability to communicate over the local computer network and the Internet. The development environment consists of the C# programming language and the open interface for Cryptool modules. The solution we propose facilitates interactive and collaborative work of students on solving cryptology problems and enables a more even learning pace across the entire group. We present and discuss practical results of our approach tested in the classroom setting during 2010 and 2011. In addition to better final grades, we have observed an increase in student interest for this area manifested in better class and lab attendance, as well as more active and creative participation. We describe two lab exercises based on the proposed solution. We evaluate the impact of our solution by means of a statistical analysis.

… . Recent Advances in …, 2009

Information security, and Cryptography as a part of it, is a critical topic for computer science students to understand. Different teaching approaches can be effective in helping the students understand abstract principles. In this paper, we present our approach to Cryptography education that is based on the idea that the stages of growth of the individual might recapitulate the stages of growth of the science. The Cryptography is apprehended as pilot model for further proposal of Computer Science education.

2011

Java applet-based tools have been developed for exploring mathematical foundations of computer security techniques including modular arithmetic, primes, permutations, combinations, probability, authentication algorithms, and hashes. Tools were used by students to examine MonoAlphabetic and shift substitution ciphertexts, Playfair and Vigenère ciphers, message digests, digital signatures, and public key cryptosystems.