CSE 426: Cryptography (Autumn 2023)

Time and location: MWF 11:30-12:20p, MOR 230

Sections:

Section A: Th 12:30-1:20p, MUE 153
Section B: Th 1:30-2:20p, MOR 225

Dicussion platform: We will be using edstem. You should have received an invite, otherwise contact us for assistance.

Contact: Use cse426-staff@cs to reach out to the whole staff. Use this for extension requests, and also urgent matters that can be handled by the whole staff. For non-urgent issues we prefer if you ask a question as a private question on edstem. For private matters, please contact the instructor directly.

General description

Cryptography provides tools for ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive digital data. This course covers the design and application of cryptographic objects such as encryption, message authentication, and digital signatures, as well as advanced cryptographic objects and protocols, such as zero-knowledge proofs, secure multi-party computation, and fully homomorphic encryption. For each cryptographic object, we formalize its security goal, show schemes that achieve the desired security, and study security attacks or security proofs that establish the insecurity or security of the scheme at hand. Through this course, we aim to give an overview of the discipline of cryptography, the proper usage and application of important cryptographic tools, and methodologies that modern cryptography offers for developing cryptographic solutions to natural security problems.

Pre-req: CSE 312. The class will be self-contained. But students are expected to understand mathematical definitions and proofs, and write simple ones. Exposure to basic probability / algebra / number theory, and theory of computing is also expected. (Contact the instructor if in doubt.)

Policies

Accommodations: We will follow UW policies for disability accommodations and religious accommodations.
Academic conduct: Please also refer to UW policies on student conduct and academic integerity
DRS accommodations: If you want DRS accommodations, you should email DRS as soon as possible. DRS will contact us directly to get these accomodations set up for you.
Homework policy:

There will be six homework assignments, to be solved individually. Solutions are to be submitted over Gradescope.
With the exception of Homework 6, Homeworks are posted on Wednesday night, by midnight, and due one week later.
We strongly encourage you to type solutions up using LaTeX. Alternatively, you can use any other tool that properly displays equations (e.g., Word's equation editor).
You must show your work; at a minimum 1-2 sentences per question, but ideally as much as you would need to explain to a fellow classmate who had not solved the problem before. Be concise. A correct answer with no work is worth nothing, less than a wrong answer with sufficient explanations explaining your reasoning.
It is okay to discuss with other students in coming up with the homework solutions, but you must list all your collaborators at the top of each homework. Moreover, you have to write up your own solution and be able to explain your answer if asked to do so. If there are any doubts, we plan to do some spot checks in which we ask students to explain one of their solutions (or solve a slight variant of the problem they solved on the homework) in person.
You have a total of six late days during the quarter, but can only use up to three late days on any one assignment. Please plan ahead, as we will not be willing to add any additional late days except in absolute, verifiable emergencies.
Regrade requests are to be submitted within one week of the graded homework assignment being released.

Exams policy: All exams (midterm and final) will take place in the classroom. The final exam will be cumulative. The exams will be closed book, but you will be allowed to use a cheatsheet (more information will be provided at due time).
Final grade: The final grade will be computed as follows: Homework (50-55%); Midterm (15-20%); Final (30-35%)