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INFO-F405

Introduction to cryptography

academic year
2025-2026
2026-2027

Course teacher(s)

Rachelle Heim (Coordinator)

ECTS credits

5

Language(s) of instruction

english

Course content

Historical aspects of cryptology. Kerckhoffs' principle, Shannon entropy, the one-time pad and perfect secrecy.
Symmetric cryptology: confidentiality and integrity. Notion of mode, primitive, security game. Block cipher-based cryptography, stream ciphers,  permutation-based cryptography. Description of some block ciphers including AES. Cryptographic hash functions.
Asymmetric encryption, KEMs, signatures. RSA and factorisation, El Gamal and the discrete log, Diffie-Hellman. Introduction to post-quantum cryptography.
Notion of certificate. 
 

Objectives (and/or specific learning outcomes)

To understand the fundamental concepts of cryptography. To understand the common cryptographic algorithms and protocols. To know the usage limits and interoperability constraints of these different mechanisms.

Prerequisites and Corequisites

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

Notions of probabilities and arithmetics (there will be quick reminders). 

Cours ayant celui-ci comme co-requis

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lectures and practical exercises.

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

  • Paar et Pelzl, Understanding Cryptography, Springer, 2011 (ISBN 978-3642041006)
  • Katz et Lindell, Introduction to Modern Cryptography (third edition), CRC Press, 2021 (ISBN 978-0815354369)
  • Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot et Scott A. Vanstone, Handbook of Applied Cryptography, CRC Press, 1997

Course notes

  • Université virtuelle

Contribution to the teaching profile

Acquire knowledge in cryptograhy and computer security, being able to act as an scientific expert in problems solving, assimilate new concepts, develop a rigorous approach of scientific reasoning, being able to communicate in an adapted way (depending of the audience), being able to develop new competencies while respecting ethical aspects of the corresponding scientific field.

Other information

Contacts

  • Rachelle Heim Boissier, rachelle.heim@ulb.be
  • Dania Lazzarini, dania.lazzarini@ulb.be
  • Nathan Vanzeir, nathan.vanzeir@ulb.be 

Campus

Plaine

Evaluation

Method(s) of evaluation

  • written examination

written examination

Additional written exam "interrogation" half-way throughout the quadrimester.   
Attendance at exercise sessions is a necessary criterion for success.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

La grade is computed by taking the maximum between two grades grade1 and grade2. 

grade1: 25% of the grade from the "interrogation". 75% of the grade from the final exam.
grade2: 100% of the grade from the final exam.

Language(s) of evaluation

  • english

Programmes