CS/ECE 407: Cryptography
Spring 2025

Instructor
Professor David Heath
daheath@illinois.edu
4322 Siebel Center

TA
Mehul Oswal
mehuljo2@illinois.edu

Announcements

Description

Cryptography uses mathematical algorithms and protocols to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of information. Today, cryptographic principles and systems form an integral part of almost all online activity. This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of modern cryptography. You will learn about cryptography’s formal approach to security. You will learn about cryptographic primitives, and you will learn how those primitives can be used.

This webpage serves as the course syllabus, and it will be edited throughout the semester to release resources.

Class Times

We will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30am – 11:50am in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building room 3013. Lectures will be recorded and made available online.

Office Hours

Resources

Prerequisites

The following courses are required:

Prerequisite overrides will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

We expect that you are familiar with basic probability, modular arithmetic, and logarithms. Take the time to read this chapter of The Joy of Cryptography and make sure you understand the concepts within.

Grade Distribution

Your letter grade will be assigned as follows: A: 93-100, A-: 90-92, B+: 87-89, B: 83-86, B-: 80-82, C+: 77-79, C: 73-76, C-: 70-72, D+: 67-69, D: 63-66, D-: 60-62, F: 0-59.

Assignments

The course will include four to six (depending on the pace of the course) homework assignments. Homework makes up half of your grade!

Each homework will include careful instructions. Homework problems will include (1) long-form problem write-ups and proofs as well as (2) C++ programming assignments. For programming assignments, follow instructions carefully to receive full credit.

Homeworks are to be submitted via Gradescope. Homework materials follow:

Collaboration.

Homeworks are to be submitted individually. However, you may collaborate with up to one other student on homework assignments. On each homework submission, declare your collaborator (if any). In your collaboration you are expected to discuss the homework, not merely copy answers. Plagiarism will not be tolerated (see Academic Integrity).

Course Schedule

Date Topic Lecture Slides Resources
1/21 Course Overview and Introduction Slides Video
1/23 Perfect Secrecy and One-Time Pads Slides Video
1/28 Pseudorandom Generators Slides Video, Recommended Reading
1/30 Pseudorandom Generators Continued Slides Video, Recommended Reading
2/4 One-time Semantic Security and PRFs Slides Video, Recommended Reading
2/6 Block Ciphers and CPA Security Slides Video, Recommended Reading
2/11 CPA Security Slides Recommended Reading
2/13 Block Cipher Modes and Variable Length Messages Slides Recommended Reading
2/18
2/20
2/25
2/27
3/4
3/6
3/11
3/13 Midterm Exam
3/18 Spring Break – No Class
3/20 Spring Break – No Class
3/25
3/27
4/1
4/3
4/8
4/10
4/15
4/17
4/22
4/24
4/29
5/1
5/6

The final exam is currently scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at 8:00am.

Course Topics

Topics covered in the course include – but are not limited to – the following:

Academic Integrity

Academic dishonesty is a serious offense. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Student Code (https://studentcode.illinois.edu) is considered a part of this syllabus. If you are ever in doubt of what constitutes plagiarism or cheating, do not hesitate to ask me.

Disability Accommodations

To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603 (V/TTY), or e-mail a message to disability@illinois.edu.