Module overview
Linked modules
Pre-requisites: (ELEC1201 and MATH2047) OR (COMP1202 AND COMP2210) OR ELEC6259
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Attack classical ciphers such as Vigenère, and LFSR-based stream ciphers
 - Select appropriate ciphers, cipher modes, and protocols for simple applications
 
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The historic struggle between code-makers and code-breakers
 - The broad categories of codes and ciphers, and appropriate uses for each
 
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Perform simple mathematics appropriate to public-key encryption, and to cryptosystems based on polynomials over the binary numbers
 
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Use graduate-level literature to investigate areas of mathematics previously unfamiliar to you
 
Syllabus
Learning and Teaching
| Type | Hours | 
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 18 | 
| Wider reading or practice | 50 | 
| Completion of assessment task | 12 | 
| Lecture | 36 | 
| Follow-up work | 18 | 
| Revision | 10 | 
| Tutorial | 6 | 
| Total study time | 150 | 
Resources & Reading list
                                      Textbooks
                                
        
        
        
        
  
  
  
        
        
David Kahn (1997). The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet. Sphere books.
Bruce Schneier (1995). Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms and Source Code in C. Wiley.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution | 
|---|---|
| Cryptanalysis Investigation | 20% | 
| Examination | 80% | 
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution | 
|---|---|
| Examination | 100% | 
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution | 
|---|---|
| Examination | 100% | 
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External