Course content

The course is taught every year and every semester based on demand, both in Trondheim and in Gjøvik. Interested students can contact the course coordinator to coordinate when the course is offered.

The course will study mechanisms and properties of cryptographic protocols that establish and maintain security properties of information exchange in two-party and multiparty settings within ambient open communications networks. More complex requirements beyond basic communication secrecy and authenticity are identified in e-commerce, banking services, health informatics, digital payments and credentials, auctions, voting. The course will give models and classes of attack; computational classes, parameter and key establishment protocols; authentication protocols; commitment protocols; zero-knowledge techniques; consensus/multiparty computations; privacy-preserving protocols, and formal specification and reasoning.

Learning outcome

A. Knowledge: 1) Acquire an overview and understanding of the problems, notions, definitions, design principles and proof techniques for selected cryptographic protocols referred to under course content. 2) Insight into some typical applications of cryptographic protocols in networked systems, as referred to under course content.

B. Skills: 1) The ability to describe, analyse and construct cryptographic protocols. 2) The ability to apply proof techniques and automatic verification tools to existing and new constructions.

C. General competence: Individually author a technical paper for publication.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, colloquiums, assignments, compulsory oral presentation, and self-study.

Compulsory assignments

• Oral presentation

Further on evaluation

Portfolio assessment is the basis for the grade in the course. The portfolio includes an individual paper which counts 40% and a home assignment which counts 60%. The topic of the paper is to be chosen by the student in consultation with the course coordinator. The results for the parts are given in %-scores. The grading rule for the entire portfolio is passed/failed. The minimum passing grade is 70/100 points (70%).

If a student has the final grade failed, the student must repeat the entire course. Works that count in the final grade and the compulsory oral presentation must be repeated. Also in the case a student wants to try to improve their grade, they must repeat the entire course.

Recommended previous knowledge

TTM4135 - Applied Cryptography and Network Security, TTM4138 - Wireless Network Security, TTM4205 Secure Cryptographic Implementations, TMA4160 - Cryptography, or similar.

Course materials

To be announced at the beginning of the course.