CAB340 Cryptography
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | CAB340 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | CAB203 or MXB102 |
| Antirequisite(s): | INB355 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | Knowledge of Discrete Mathematics is assumed knowledge |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,118 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,104 |
| International unit fee | $4,788 |
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | CAB340 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | CAB203 or MXB102 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | Knowledge of Discrete Mathematics is assumed knowledge |
| Anti-requisite: | INB355 |
| Coordinator: | Xavier Boyen | xavier.boyen@qut.edu.au |
Overview
The dependence of modern society on remote electronic data transmission and storage makes it an essential requirement that this data be secured, both against unwanted disclosure and malicious alterations. This unit provides a self-contained introduction to the field of cryptography, from historical roots and attacks, to the mathematical principles that underpin the workings of the modern ciphers most commonly in use for securing internet communications. The focus of this unit is on a grounded understanding of cryptographic designs and their limitations, which in turn inform how they are used in practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Discuss, understand and apply the principles of various classes of algorithms in modern cryptography with a focus on core concepts, mathematical foundations, operating components, strengths and limitations.
- Model the cryptographic properties of various classes of algorithms, in order to analyse and evaluate their ability to meet practical security requirements.
- Analyse and assemble applied cryptographic systems, with an emphasis on identifying and fitting purpose and making recommendations to avoid misuse.
- Select, design and apply security technologies effectively in order to achieve specific cryptographic goals such as integrity, confidentiality and authentication.
Content
Cryptography versus cryptanalysis; the roles of cryptography; modelling cryptographic security; historical ciphers and how to break them; information theory; perfect secrecy from true randomness; stream ciphers and pseudorandomness; block ciphers and their modes of operation; some applications of symmetric cryptography; the mathematics of public-key cryptography; Diffie-Hellman; ElGamal; RSA; digital signatures; certificates and public-key infrastructure; elements of elliptic-curve cryptography; cryptocurrencies.
Learning Approaches
This unit is available for you to study in either on-campus or online mode, but be aware that even in online mode you will be required to attend two (2) written examinations in person: once during Week 7 and once during the Central Examination period.
Learning in this unit primarily includes a weekly lecture (to be either recorded or pre-recorded) and a weekly tutorial (in-person only, or online for online-mode students). The unit will provide a communication channel designed to facilitate communication with the teaching staff outside of scheduled classes. You can expect to spend an average of 10 to 15 hours per week preparing for and attending all scheduled learning activities, completing assessment tasks, and undertaking your own independent study to consolidate your learning.
During the weekly lectures, theory on various topics in cryptography will be presented, and examples showing how this theory can be applied will also be given. During the weekly tutorials, the focus will be on promoting your understanding of the core material through hands-on problem-solving worksheets, involving a mixture of learning software and pen-and-paper exercises. Questions related to the presented material will be provided; your answers to these questions will direct your focus and aid your preparation for unit assessment items. Your participation in the learning activities provides opportunities for you to self-assess and to obtain feedback from unit staff and your peers, further developing your interpersonal and oral communication skills.
You must be able to manage your time and prioritise activities in order to complete the required unit activities: both learning and assessment. You should be able to work both independently and as a productive and cooperative team member. Independent work (primarily in the form of mathematical practice) will be required to solidify your understanding from the learning activities in order to do well in the assessment items.
On assessment items: two of those will take the form of timed written examinations (one midterm and one final), to be taken in person by every student. The third is an 'authentic assessment' consisting of a substantial group project where you will collaborate with classmates and transcend the unit material toward a task which could be analysing a real-world application or implementing a real-world protocol. It is your responsibility to ensure that your work is completed in a timely manner.
The unit coordinator will use email and the unit's QUT Canvas site to make announcements and post various types of information throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to access your email account and the unit's QUT Canvas site regularly.
Prerequisites for this unit include general knowledge of computer science concepts including familiarity with programming language of your choice (in order to be able to develop software prototypes) and general ease with mathematical subjects.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You can obtain feedback on your progress throughout the unit through the following mechanisms:
• self-assess your responses to provided question sets and presented material
• ask the teaching staff for advice and assistance during tutorial sessions
• review your assessment items during scheduled review sessions
• have a private consultation with teaching staff
Assessment
Overview
This unit introduces foundational concepts and principles, and its assessment will be based both around the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the semester, in the form of a mid-semester quiz and a final invigilated written exam, and in the ability to apply all of that critically in an authentic situation, in the form of a substantial group project involving either investigation or implementation.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Mid-semester multiple-choice quiz
The exam is one-hour long (excluding preparations and perusal) and will involve twenty multiple-choice questions.
Assessment: Group project
This authentic assessment item requires you to, either, study and investigate from the literature, or, model and implement in software, a specific security item (artefact, protocol, product, system, etc.) within a specified theme, and write a comprehensive report detailing your process and your findings. You will be working in a small group, and will have some freedom to choose the topic of your project within a prescribed theme.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Written final examination
This in-person invigilated written final examination will have a two-hour duration (excluding preparations and perusal) and consist of a mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.
Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
No extraordinary charges or costs are associated with the requirements for this unit. Required text: There is no required text for this unit.
Recommended Text: No textbook is necessary. There are many reference books. The following are useful:
Resource Materials
Reference book(s)
J. Menezes, P. C. van Oorrschot and S. A. Vanstone, Handbook of applied cryptography (HAC), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1996. Sample chapters available online at http://cacr.uwaterloo.ca/hac/
N. Smart, Cryptography: An introduction, McGraw-Hill. The 3rd edition is available online at
http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~nigel/Crypto_Book/ http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/%7Enigel/Crypto_Book/
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no unusual health or safety risks associated with this unit.
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Online
| Unit code: | CAB340 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | CAB203 or MXB102 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | Knowledge of Discrete Mathematics is assumed knowledge |
| Anti-requisite: | INB355 |
Overview
The dependence of modern society on remote electronic data transmission and storage makes it an essential requirement that this data be secured, both against unwanted disclosure and malicious alterations. This unit provides a self-contained introduction to the field of cryptography, from historical roots and attacks, to the mathematical principles that underpin the workings of the modern ciphers most commonly in use for securing internet communications. The focus of this unit is on a grounded understanding of cryptographic designs and their limitations, which in turn inform how they are used in practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Discuss, understand and apply the principles of various classes of algorithms in modern cryptography with a focus on core concepts, mathematical foundations, operating components, strengths and limitations.
- Model the cryptographic properties of various classes of algorithms, in order to analyse and evaluate their ability to meet practical security requirements.
- Analyse and assemble applied cryptographic systems, with an emphasis on identifying and fitting purpose and making recommendations to avoid misuse.
- Select, design and apply security technologies effectively in order to achieve specific cryptographic goals such as integrity, confidentiality and authentication.
Content
Cryptography versus cryptanalysis; the roles of cryptography; modelling cryptographic security; historical ciphers and how to break them; information theory; perfect secrecy from true randomness; stream ciphers and pseudorandomness; block ciphers and their modes of operation; some applications of symmetric cryptography; the mathematics of public-key cryptography; Diffie-Hellman; ElGamal; RSA; digital signatures; certificates and public-key infrastructure; elements of elliptic-curve cryptography; cryptocurrencies.
Learning Approaches
This unit is available for you to study in either on-campus or online mode, but be aware that even in online mode you will be required to attend two (2) written examinations in person: once during Week 7 and once during the Central Examination period.
Learning in this unit primarily includes a weekly lecture (to be either recorded or pre-recorded) and a weekly tutorial (in-person only, or online for online-mode students). The unit will provide a communication channel designed to facilitate communication with the teaching staff outside of scheduled classes. You can expect to spend an average of 10 to 15 hours per week preparing for and attending all scheduled learning activities, completing assessment tasks, and undertaking your own independent study to consolidate your learning.
During the weekly lectures, theory on various topics in cryptography will be presented, and examples showing how this theory can be applied will also be given. During the weekly tutorials, the focus will be on promoting your understanding of the core material through hands-on problem-solving worksheets, involving a mixture of learning software and pen-and-paper exercises. Questions related to the presented material will be provided; your answers to these questions will direct your focus and aid your preparation for unit assessment items. Your participation in the learning activities provides opportunities for you to self-assess and to obtain feedback from unit staff and your peers, further developing your interpersonal and oral communication skills.
You must be able to manage your time and prioritise activities in order to complete the required unit activities: both learning and assessment. You should be able to work both independently and as a productive and cooperative team member. Independent work (primarily in the form of mathematical practice) will be required to solidify your understanding from the learning activities in order to do well in the assessment items.
On assessment items: two of those will take the form of timed written examinations (one midterm and one final), to be taken in person by every student. The third is an 'authentic assessment' consisting of a substantial group project where you will collaborate with classmates and transcend the unit material toward a task which could be analysing a real-world application or implementing a real-world protocol. It is your responsibility to ensure that your work is completed in a timely manner.
The unit coordinator will use email and the unit's QUT Canvas site to make announcements and post various types of information throughout the semester. It is your responsibility to access your email account and the unit's QUT Canvas site regularly.
Prerequisites for this unit include general knowledge of computer science concepts including familiarity with programming language of your choice (in order to be able to develop software prototypes) and general ease with mathematical subjects.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You can obtain feedback on your progress throughout the unit through the following mechanisms:
• self-assess your responses to provided question sets and presented material
• ask the teaching staff for advice and assistance during tutorial sessions
• review your assessment items during scheduled review sessions
• have a private consultation with teaching staff
Assessment
Overview
This unit introduces foundational concepts and principles, and its assessment will be based both around the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the semester, in the form of a mid-semester quiz and a final invigilated written exam, and in the ability to apply all of that critically in an authentic situation, in the form of a substantial group project involving either investigation or implementation.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Mid-semester multiple-choice quiz
The exam is one-hour long (excluding preparations and perusal) and will involve twenty multiple-choice questions.
Assessment: Group project
This authentic assessment item requires you to, either, study and investigate from the literature, or, model and implement in software, a specific security item (artefact, protocol, product, system, etc.) within a specified theme, and write a comprehensive report detailing your process and your findings. You will be working in a small group, and will have some freedom to choose the topic of your project within a prescribed theme.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Written final examination
This in-person invigilated written final examination will have a two-hour duration (excluding preparations and perusal) and consist of a mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.
Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
No extraordinary charges or costs are associated with the requirements for this unit. Required text: There is no required text for this unit.
Recommended Text: No textbook is necessary. There are many reference books. The following are useful:
Resource Materials
Reference book(s)
J. Menezes, P. C. van Oorrschot and S. A. Vanstone, Handbook of applied cryptography (HAC), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1996. Sample chapters available online at http://cacr.uwaterloo.ca/hac/
N. Smart, Cryptography: An introduction, McGraw-Hill. The 3rd edition is available online at
http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~nigel/Crypto_Book/ http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/%7Enigel/Crypto_Book/
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no unusual health or safety risks associated with this unit.