Cryptology Syllabus - SMA Elective

Teacher: Mr. Evans

Email: mark.evans@hcps.org (for large files email to, evans@scienceandmathacademy.com)

Course Description: This is a semester course which will teach the basics of cryptology. Students will gain an understanding of classic and contemporary encryption algorithms. Cryptanalysis techniques of classic ciphers will be studied and implemented. Some of the weaknesses of contemporary ciphers will be discussed. Students will also write simple visual basic applications (VBA) programs to encrypt and decrypt text.

Course outline: The below outline is a loose guide.

• Introduction to Cryptology
  • Lecture (1 day)
• Classical Cryptology
  • Classical Monoalphabetic Ciphers – (Keyword, affine, multilateral)
    • Lecture (1 day)
    • Decryption assignment #1: Keyword (1 day)
    • Programming assignment #1: Affine Cipher, using Word and VBA (4 days)
  • Classical Polyalphabetic Ciphers – (Vigenere, Autokey, Nihilist, Cylinder, Rotor)
    • Lecture (2 days)
      
    • Decryption assignment #2: Vigenere (1 day)
      
  • Classical Polygraphic Ciphers – (Playfair, Hill, Beale Cipher)
    
    • Lecture (1 day)
      
    • Decryption assignment #3: Hill (1 day)
      
  • Classical Transposition Ciphers – (Permutation, Column Permutation, Double-Transposition)
    
    • Lecture (1 day)
      
• Contemporary Ciphers
  
  • Stream Ciphers
    
    • Lecture (2 days)
      
    • Programming assignment #2: Stream Cipher, using Word and VBA (4 days)
      
  • Block Ciphers
    
    • Lecture (2 days)
      
  • Introduction to Number Theory
    
    • Lecture (2 days)
      
  • Public Key Ciphers
    
    • Lecture (2 days)
      
    • Decryption assignment #4: Public Key (1 day)
      
    • Programming assignment #3: Public Key Cipher, using Word and VBA (4 days)
      
  • Message Authentication: Key Management, Digital Signatures, Hash Functions, & Certificates
    
    • Lecture (2 days)
      
  • Quantum Cryptography
    
    • Lecture (1 day)
      
• Other days
  
  • Fieldtrip to NSA museum (1 day)
    
  • Guest lecturer, NSA (1 day)
    
  • Tests, one per quarter (2 days)
    
  • Midterm Review (1 day)
    
  • Midterm (1 day)
    
  • Extra days may be inserted from time to time.
    

Grading: All grades are determined by total points.

• Tests: 50 points each (History, basic understand of ciphers, and some VBA code)
  
• Decryption assignments: 30 points each
  
  • Keyword cipher
    
  • Vigenere cipher
    
  • Hill cipher
    
  • Public Key
    
• Programs: 50 points each
  
  • Affine cipher
    
  • Stream cipher
    
  • Public key
    
• Other class assignments: 10-20 points