IERG4150 Introduction to Cryptography (Fall 2025)

🌕/🌒
Instructor: Sherman S. M. Chow
Teaching Assistant: PAN Ying-yu, SHB726, py022
(@ie.cuhk.edu.hk)

Basic Information

Cryptography is essential in many cyber security goals and many application domains. This course introduces students with a foundation of theory of cryptography and its application, including introductions to number theory, symmetric-key cryptography, public-key cryptography, and a brief overview of the research advances.
  • Time and Venue:
    • 4:30PM - 6:15PM, Monday, Science Center L3
    • 12:30PM - 1:15PM, Thursday, Science Centre L5
  • Tutorial Session (for revision, optional but recommended):
    Please provide your availability by Sep 6 noon.
  • Current Class composition: BEng(CE), BEng(IE), BSc(BioChem), BSc(CS), IDA, Exchange, MSc(IE)
  • "Prerequisites": basic modular arithmetic, discrete probabilities, simple combinatorics, familiarity with logics, proofs, and the concept of algorithm's time complexity
  • Students who have taken IERG4130, or other ECLT, IEMS courses on cryptography can also take this class
    (probably except IEMS5710b (to be) taught by myself).
  • Students who would like to do a cryptography project (e.g., IERG4998, IEMS5910, AIMS5790) should take this course (subject to your master program's own rule and/or approval of the program director).

Schedule

(slides will be moved to Blackboard after the add/drop period)
  1. 1/9: O. Overview, Logistics
    I. One-Time Pad and its Security Proof
    4/9: I. One-Time Pad (cont.)
    [Reading: Preface, Chapter 0]
    [FYI: CTF Workshop and Competition]
  2. 8, 11/9: II. Provable Security
    [Slides: 2-otp-proof]
  3. 15/9, 18/9: III. Secret Sharing
    [Slides: 3-xor-sss]
  4. 22, 25/9: IV. Basing Cryptography on Intractable Computation
    [Assignment 1 tentative release day]
  5. 29/9, 2/10: V. Pseudorandom Generators
    [Slides: 5-prg-feedback, 5-potp-proof]
  6. 6, 9/10: VI. Pseudorandom Functions
    [Assignment 2 tentative release day]
  7. 13/10: VII. Chosen-Plaintext Attacks
    [Slides: 7-prf-cpa]
    16/10: VIII. Block Cipher Modes of Operation
  8. 20, 23/10: IX. Chosen-Ciphertext Attack
  9. 27/10: [Tentative Mid-term]
    30/10: Special Topics (not in exam syllabus):
    Applications of PRG and PRF (or a Preview of ENGG5383)
  10. 3, 6/11: X. Message Authentication Code
    [Slides: 10-enc-then-mac]
    [Assignment 3 tentative release day]
  11. 10/11: XI. Hash Function
    13/11: XIII: RSA & Digital Signatures
  12. 17, 20/11: XIII: RSA & Digital Signatures (fin.)
  13. 24/11: XIV: Diffie-Hellman Key Agreement
    27/11: XV: Public-Key Encryption
    [Slides: 15-hybrid-enc]

Workload and Link

Textbook [Required, but free]:

Tentative Workload:

  1. 3 Written Assignments [check Blackboard] (40%)
  2. Mid-Term Exam [Scope: Chapter 0 - 8] (20%)
  3. Final Exam [Scope: Chapter 0 - 11, 13 - 15] (40%)
  4. Class Participation (physical attendance, tiny bonus for the top 10% Piazza "contributor")
Leisure Reading: Prior Offering: Standard Stuff: