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Project Overview

Project Code: CIT 04

Project name:

Decoding Problem

TUM Department:

CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering

TUM Chair / Institute:

Institute for Communications Engineering

Research area:

Post-Quantum Cryptography

Student background:

Computer EngineeringComputer ScienceComputer Science/ InformaticsElectrical EngineeringMathematics

Further disciplines:

Planned project location:

Technical University of Munich
Theresienstrasse 90
80333 München

Project Supervisor - Contact Details


Title:

Dr.sc.nat

Given name:

Violetta

Family name:

Weger

E-mail:

violetta.weger@tum.de

Phone:

+49 89 289 - 29053

Additional Project Supervisor - Contact Details


Title:

Given name:

Sebastian

Family name:

Bitzer

E-mail:

sebastian.bitzer@tum.de

Phone:

Additional Project Supervisor - Contact Details


Title:

Given name:

Hugo

Family name:

Sauerbier Couvée

E-mail:

hugo.sauerbier-couvee@tum.de

Phone:

Project Description


Project description:

NIST Standardization Process

In a digital world, the steady advances in quantum technology are threatening the security of our daily life, as all currently employed asymmetric cryptosystems can be efficiently broken by a capable quantum computer.
In answer to this threat, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) initiated in 2017 a standardization process for post-quantum cryptography, i.e., cryptosystems that will withstand quantum attacks.
Recently, NIST asked for further submissions of post-quantum digital signatures.
Researchers from the Institute for Coding and Cryptography at TUM are contributing to two proposals: CROSS and FuLeeca.

Post-Quantum Cryptography at TUM

Post-quantum cryptography is a rather new discipline, which is developing rapidly.
At its core lies the belief that a system whose security relies on a NP-complete problem will resist quantum attacks.

At the Institute for Coding and Cryptography headed by Prof. Antonia Wachter-Zeh, we conduct research on code-based cryptography, which constitutes one of the most promising post-quantum candidates.
Code-based cryptography usually bases its security on
the syndrome decoding problem (SDP).
Syndrome decoding is a hard problem, not in the sense that it is hard to understand, but that it is hard to solve large instances, even with a quantum computer.

What can You do in this Project?

The classical syndrome decoding problem has been studied extensively.
In particular, we have reliable estimates on the complexity of solving it in practice.
However, several recently proposed cryptosystems
base their security on generalized variants of the classical problem.
Together with you, we would like to analyse the behaviour of such new variants.
This can include
- comparing the new problem to other ones,
- developing improved solvers for the problem
- or even coming up with new problems.
The exact tasks can be set depending on your interest and previous knowledge.

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Munich!

Working hours per week planned:

30

Prerequisites


Required study level minimum (at time of TUM PREP project start):

2 years of bachelor studies completed

Subject related:

Interest in cryptography

Other:

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