Group theory appears to be a promising source of hard computational problems for deploying new cryptographic constructions. This reference focuses on the specifics of using groups, including in particular non-Abelian groups, in the field of cryptography. It provides an introduction to cryptography with emphasis on the group theoretic perspective, making it one of the first books to use this approach. The authors provide the needed cryptographic and group theoretic concepts, full proofs of essential theorems, and formal security evaluations of the cryptographic schemes presented. They also provide references for further reading and exercises at the end of each chapter.

Covering relations between three different areas of mathematics and theoretical computer science, this book explores how non-commutative (infinite) groups, which are typically studied in combinatorial group theory, can be used in public key cryptography.

Examines the relationship between three different areas of mathematics and theoretical computer science: combinatorial group theory, cryptography, and complexity theory. It explores how non-commutative (infinite) groups can be used in public key cryptography. It also shows that there is remarkable feedback from cryptography to combinatorial group theory because some of the problems motivated by cryptography appear to be new to group theory.

This book is intended as a comprehensive treatment of group-based cryptography accessible to both mathematicians and computer scientists, with emphasis on the most recent developments in the area. To make it accessible to a broad range of readers, the authors started with a treatment of elementary topics in group theory, combinatorics, and complexity theory, as well as providing an overview of classical public-key cryptography. Then some algorithmic problems arising in group theory are presented, and cryptosystems based on these problems and their respective cryptanalyses are described. The book also provides an introduction to ideas in quantum cryptanalysis, especially with respect to the goal of post-quantum group-based cryptography as a candidate for quantum-resistant cryptography. The final part of the book provides a description of various classes of groups and their suitability as platforms for group-based cryptography. The book is a monograph addressed to graduate students and researchers in both mathematics and computer science.

Cryptography lies at the heart of most technologies deployed today for secure communications. At the same time, mathematics lies at the heart of cryptography, as cryptographic constructions are based on algebraic scenarios ruled by group or number theoretical laws. Understanding the involved algebraic structures is, thus, essential to design robust cryptographic schemes. This Special Issue is concerned with the interplay between group theory, symmetry and cryptography. The book highlights four exciting areas of research in which these fields intertwine: post-quantum cryptography, coding theory, computational group theory and symmetric cryptography. The articles presented demonstrate the relevance of rigorously analyzing the computational hardness of the mathematical problems used as a base for cryptographic constructions. For instance, decoding problems related to algebraic codes and rewriting problems in non-abelian groups are explored with cryptographic applications in mind. New results on the algebraic properties or symmetric cryptographic tools are also presented, moving ahead in the understanding of their security properties. In addition, post-quantum constructions for digital signatures and key exchange are explored in this Special Issue, exemplifying how (and how not) group theory may be used for developing robust cryptographic tools to withstand quantum attacks.

At the heart of modern cryptographic algorithms lies computational number theory. Whether you're encrypting or decrypting ciphers, a solid background in number theory is essential for success. Written by a number theorist and practicing cryptographer, Cryptanalysis of Number Theoretic Ciphers takes you from basic number theory to the inner workings of ciphers and protocols. First, the book provides the mathematical background needed in cryptography as well as definitions and simple examples from cryptography. It includes summaries of elementary number theory and group theory, as well as common methods of finding or constructing large random primes, factoring large integers, and computing discrete logarithms. Next, it describes a selection of cryptographic algorithms, most of which use number theory. Finally, the book presents methods of attack on the cryptographic algorithms and assesses their effectiveness. For each attack method the author lists the systems it applies to and tells how they may be broken with it. Computational number theorists are some of the most successful cryptanalysts against public key systems. Cryptanalysis of Number Theoretic Ciphers builds a solid foundation in number theory and shows you how to apply it not only when breaking ciphers, but also when designing ones that are difficult to break.